Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Perfectly Cooked Fresh Pasta

Kathleen Kennedy did a fabulous class on Homemade Pasta last week. She had a few tips on cooking your fresh pasta correctly:

1. Use plenty of water in a large pot - 1 gallon of water per pound of Fresh Pasta.
2. Add salt if desired – salting the water increases the temperature of boiling water and results in a better quality product. Use 1-1/2 tablespoons of sea salt per gallon of water.
3. Add vegetable oil – 1 tablespoon per gallon of water. Oil helps to prevent the Fresh Pasta from sticking together.
4. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Covering the pot helps to increase the temperature and reduce the time it takes to boil the water.
5. Add Fresh Pasta and stir gently to ensure separation. Stir to prevents sticking. A wooden spoon is preferable.
6. Keep pot uncovered once you have added the past and keep the cooking water boiling.
7. Return water to a boil, then start timing.

Angel Hair 1-1/2 minutes
Spaghetti 7 minutes
Tallarini 2 minutes
Linguini 3 minutes
Fettuccini 7 minutes
Pappardelle 5 minutes
Macaroni 5 minutes
Bucatini 5 minutes
Bucatoni 5 minutes
Fusilli 7 minutes
Piccolo Fusilli 7 minutes
Rigatoni 5 minutes
Penne 5 minutes
Tagliatelle 6 minutes
Rotini 5 minutes
Ziti 5minutes

1. Stir occasionally.
2. Taste the pasta to check for doneness. Fresh Pasta is ready to eat when the texture is to your liking. Firm Fresh Pasta (al dente) is best.
3. Place a large strainer in the sink.
4. Pour Fresh Pasta into the strainer to drain.
5. Don’t rinse cooked pasta. If you do, the sauce won’t cling to it.
6. Rinse Fresh Pasta only if it will be used for a salad or will be set aside or stored for later use.

What are your secret hints to cooking fresh pasta? Let us know....

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