Pasta 101

Learn To Speak The Language Of Italian Pasta

One of the first lessons in Italian cooking is learning about pasta.  Although pasta doesn't form the centerpiece of every Italian meal, it is usually somewhere on the table.  In order to understand Italian cooking, therefore, you really should get to know a little bit about pasta.  Of course, we want to learn about the varieties of pasta and which dish to use them in, but it's also fun to know what the strange names mean.  Let's start by learning a little about the most obvious term – Pasta.

In Italian, 'pasta' simply means a "paste."  A paste is formed of flour, water, salt, and sometimes eggs.  The paste is then formed into shapes and becomes the pasta we know in Italian cooking.  We may sometimes call this food item by a different term - noodles - but that is from the German word 'nudel.'  When we're talking about cooking Italian cuisine, we use the word pasta.  Now, we'll look at some specific styles of pasta to learn more:

Calamari (calamarata or calamaretti)

These rings of pasta are thick and resemble squid, or "calamari," which explains the name.  You won't find this type of pasta too often in regular grocery stores as it is only made near Naples in the region of Campania.  The pasta may be made with squid ink to give it even more of a calamari appearance.

Cannelloni

This pasta is sometimes confused with manicotti since both are stuffed and baked.  However, there is a difference in the way the pasta is formed.  Cannelloni is a sheet of dough that is filled and rolled into the tube shape we know, while manicotti is pre-made into tubes, then stuffed.  The word 'cannelloni' is Italian for "large reeds."

Capelli D'Angelo

You might know this better by the title "angel hair." This is a very fine, delicate strand of pasta. Angel hair pasta is most often used in dishes with lighter sauces, both in flavor and weight. In the more southern regions you'll find lots of shrimp, fish, and vegetables served with their capelli d'angelo.  In the northern regions you'll find recipes using basil pesto as well as creams and seasonal vegetables.

Ditalini

This "little thimble" shaped pasta originated in the Campania region of Italy.  You'll most often see ditalini used in the a hearty bean soup or minestrone. Its tubular shape holds up well and will stay al dente even floating in soup.

Farfalle (bow tie)

This pasta's name in Italian means "butterflies." It's kind of a romantic name that got translated in English to 'bow tie' after fashion changed and men started wearing bow ties.  The pasta does actually resemble a bow tie more than a butterfly, but I like calling them farfalle because it's a pretty name to match a pretty pasta. Farfalle originated in northern Italy, where it has been used for everything from soups to light salads to cream based dishes.

Fusilli
 

These "little spindles" may be more familiar to you as 'corkscrew' pasta.  There are many variations to size, but they are all twisted into corkscrew type shapes. This twisty shaped pasta is best known for holding creamy or cheesy sauces and dressings, and are very desirable in cold salads for that reason.

Lasagne

Both referring to the pasta and the dish formed from the pasta, the word lasagne is actually the plural form of lasagna.  The Romans originated this pasta, which was called "laganum" from the Latin for "pot."  This made sense since the wide flat pasta was usually used to line a pot, then adding other ingredients to form the dish.  Now we specifically refer to a layered dish of this pasta and other ingredients as lasagne or its singular, lasagna.

Linguine

This pasta originated in the Liguria region of northern Italy.  The word 'linguine' (pronounced lin-GWY-nee) means "little tongues" in Italian.  Its American spelling, linguini, is mostly for the sake of pronunciation since 'linguine' could mistakenly end up lin-GWINE in the English language.  Either spelling, this pasta is recognized as the thinner version of fettuccine; sort of a flattened spaghetti.

Orecchiette

The Italian word for 'ear' is "orecchio," so it's no surprise that this tiny ear-shaped pasta is called 'orecchiette' meaning "little ears."  Pronounced ohray-key-YA-tay, this pasta has a built in scoop, making it ideal for holding heavy sauces, vegetables, and meat.

Orzo

Don't mistake this pasta for rice or barley, although the Italian translation for orzo is "barley."  This tiny pasta resembles a grain of rice or barley, but it is made from semolina. You can use orzo in many of the same ways you would rice or barley; in pilafs, soups, salads, and side dishes.  When cooked properly, and cooled, this pasta makes a lovely cold salad mixed with fresh ingredients.

Penne
 

The word 'penne' translates in Italian to "quills." This tubular pasta has the ends trimmed on the diagonal, similar to a quill pen. Penne that has ridges (rigate) will hold sauce well.  Penne pasta is so popular in all sizes and variations, you'll find it featured in many recipes.  One classic you will see often is Penne all'Arrabbiata which suggests a very hot spicy dish since 'arrabbiata' means "angry" in Italian. Using a hot chile sauce would be appropriate in this dish.  Penne holds up very well with heavy sauces, vegetables, and meats and is very often used in baked dishes for this reason.

Spaghetti
 

When we refer to spaghetti in America, we have to make the distinction clear that we are talking about the pasta, not the dish. The word 'spaghetti' in Italian is the diminutive of "spago," which means 'cord or string.'  In Italy you will find a variety of thicknesses of spaghetti used, specified with the names 'spaghettini and spaghettoni.'  Spaghetti is believed to be the oldest shape of pasta known.

Ziti

This popular pasta, prounounced ZEE-tee, is a thin tubular design that holds up well to heavy sauces, cheese, meats, and vegetables.  Traditionally served baked in various dishes for Italian weddings, the term 'maccheroni di zita' translates to "bride's macaroni" making the term 'zita' a convenient and understandable word for this pasta.

Now that you know more about the word origins of some of your favorite pastas, are you ready to dig in and start speaking the language?  Well, you may not be speaking fluent Italian, but at least you'll have an opportunity to drop a few Italian pasta names with ease around the dinner table.

Homemade Pasta Is Easier Than You Think

Quick Tips For  Making Pasta At Home

Have you ever had pasta at a restaurant and thought; “Is this what pasta is supposed to be like? It's so tender and light. It's so good!”  You don't have to go to a restaurant every time you want good pasta.  You can have the same experience in your own kitchen.  All it takes is some time and a few simple ingredients and you can create pasta that is far superior to anything you will ever buy in a box.

I can almost feel your panic right now, but you needn't be afraid.  Before you run and hide, vowing never to try making your own pasta, let's examine the truth about making pasta at home. Then you can decide for yourself if you want to try your hand at making pasta at home, or continue giving that restaurant your money.

Benefits

The ingredients used to make pasta are very inexpensive. Some oil, salt, water, flour, and eggs are about all you need to make a fantastic basic pasta. You can tweak the ingredients that you use to make your pasta taste exactly how you like it. Experiment with different flavors and fillings and come up with your own signature pastas, perhaps varieties you will never find in your typical grocery store. Another benefit you may not have thought of is that homemade pasta has a better ability to hold sauce. Yes, sauce does stick better to homemade pasta.

Time is Money

While making your own pasta at home can be less expensive than buying a box of pasta at the store, there is a time-money trade off to consider. To make simple egg noodles, it takes about forty-five minutes to create from scratch. The more difficult the pasta creations get, your time can actually creep up to about an hour and a half. While it may be a little cheaper to make your own pasta, it isn't cheap enough to justify spending an hour or more on it. In other words, the cost saving doesn't amount to enough of a reason to make pasta at home, especially the more complicated your pasta becomes. So, make pasta at home for the superior taste and the fun, not the money.

How Hard Can it Be... Really

Making pasta isn't hard, but it does take time and patience. The most difficult part of making your own pasta is the kneading and the rolling. That is, unless you own a stand-mixer and a pasta rolling machine. With these appliances, making your own pasta becomes a lot easier. If you don't have either of these machines, figure about ten to fifteen minutes for kneading the dough and another fifteen for rolling the dough out until it's thin enough to cut. That process may be alright in the beginning, but once you're hooked on homemade pasta, you'll want to give your hands, arms, shoulders, and back a rest by investing in the right tools.

Best Bang for Your Buck

Of course, having a pasta machine would make life easier if you plan to make your own pasta at home. When considering which machine to buy, take a hint from the restaurant business and check out the brands they use. Most manufacturers will make home pasta machines as well as industrial styles.  I suggest avoiding the all-in-one machines for your home kitchen. Instead, make the dough separately and buy a machine that will help you roll out and cut the pasta. But, you can always go with a good old rolling pin if you decide to stick with the cheapest method, and it will get easier and faster with time.

Making your own pasta will give you a far better end product, there is no doubt about that.  The packaged pasta just doesn't hold a candle.  Sure, making pasta at home may take time and a bit of practice, but once you crank out those first noodles and cook them up, the feeling of satisfaction, not to mention the taste, is well worth the effort.

What Wine Should You Serve With Your Pata Dish

The Wine And Pasta Pairing Mystery Is Solved

Wine goes with pasta like the Leaning Tower of Pisa goes with Italy.  Of course, there are about as many varieties of pasta dishes as there are wines to choose from. Matching them up might seem a little overwhelming at first, even like trying to solve a mystery.

But the clues are all there. All you need to do in order to put together a great pasta dish with a fantastic wine is to remove the idea from your mind of the entire pasta dish, and just think of the type of sauce on the pasta. The sauce, for the most part, will determine the profile of wine you choose. Let's take a look at a few different classifications of sauce you would typically find on pasta and which wines would pair well.

Tomato Based Sauce

Tomato sauces are acidic and generally have a bold flavor that commands attention. While no two tomato sauces are the same, there are a few basic ingredients in common that help us choose a wine that will pair well. With the strong flavor of a tomato based sauce, also called red-sauce, one thing to keep in mind is you want a wine to stand up under the intensity of the dish without fizzling out.  In other words, you want to taste the wine as well as the dish.

With a bold tomato sauce, you want a wine that is lush and slightly thick on 'mouthfeel' but not overly acidic. These wines can include Chianti, Merlot, and Sangiovese. Cherry is a prominent flavor in each of these wines which helps to balance out the acid of the tomato sauce.

Alfredo Sauce

Where the heavy acidic tomato sauce requires a bold wine, alfredo style sauces, also called white-sauce, are lighter in flavor and more elegant and smooth. Some are very light, while others are rich with cheesy goodness and can stand up to a slightly bolder wine. But, for any white-sauce, you don't want a brash wine, but something light and refreshing. White wines are typically the best to pair with these sauces.

Wines like Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, and Riesling are great choices when it comes to alfredo sauce. These wines are crisp and usually have a citrus note to them to help cut through the richness of the alfredo sauce. If your pasta is on the lighter side, try a dry Riesling.  But if you like your white-sauce richer or more cheesy, go with a Pinot Grigio.

Pesto Sauce

Pesto is made mostly with basil and some type of nut, either pine nuts or walnuts, then blended in olive oil and sometimes with added garlic. It seems like that would be too much flavor to stand up to a white wine, but pesto actually is considered to have a rather delicate flavor palate. Basil has a very distinct flavor that is on the earthier side, yes, but it is also a very fragile flavor which can be overtaken with a heavy, dark wine. A good wine pairing is a crisp white wine with mineral notes, such as a Cinque Terre. This type of white wine will help cut through the earthy tones of the basil and nuts. Neither the pesto nor the wine will get drowned out with this pairing.

Alternatives

There are some types of pasta that don't quite fall under these three categories, but also deserve a great wine to go with them. For instance, a fantastic wine to pair with a strong cheesy pasta, such as cheese ravioli with butter and Parmesan, is a Viognier. This wine, with its honeysuckle and vanilla nose and peach and honey flavors goes great with seafood sauces, too. For the incredible gnocchi dishes, more like potato dumplings than pasta, a Nebbiolo with earthy truffle flavors makes a great combination.

We could go on and on, but really it's all about experimenting... of course with these few tips in the back of your mind. Picking a wine to go with your pasta dish is as easy as thinking about what sauce will go on the pasta. If you are still unsure or your head starts spinning when you're looking at all those bottles in the store, ask the person in charge.  Most good wine shops only hire people who know their business.  Get to know them and they will be more than happy to make a few suggestions. Then, before you know it, you'll be on your way home to enjoy the perfect wine with your delicious pasta dinner.

Light Pasta Dishes For Your Next Picnic

Are your picnic dishes getting sort of routine, even boring? If you and your family like to enjoy picnics often, the menu may start repeating itself, over and over and over.  Pasta may not be the first thing that comes to mind when trying to think of new foods to put in your picnic basket. Perhaps pasta seems too heavy, or it takes too much preparation, or it seems like it would be a difficult dish to pack.  Of course, another concern is the safety issue. Can you really transport a pasta dish and keep it cool enough to keep it safe?

Here are a few ideas that will get you thinking of pasta dishes in a whole new light so you can pack that picnic basket full of surprises.

Au Natural

One of the most overlooked features of pasta is its purely delicious flavor all on its own. Cook it with a slight 'bite back' or al dente texture and be sure to salt the cooking water, and you'll have pasta that can easily stand alone with just a drizzle of oil and a little seasoning. Make classic cold pasta salads using just a few fresh vegetables and a drizzle of high quality olive oil. Try tossing some rotini or fusilli with olive oil, halved cherry tomatoes, a few sweet bell peppers, and spring onions. These salads are delicious and refreshing, and they contain no dairy products or mayonnaise to worry about on a hot day.

Pesto

Pesto is another great way to create a pasta dish for a picnic. Pesto is a blend of olive oil, basil, pine nuts or walnuts, garlic and sometimes a little feta or Parmesan cheese. The combo makes a thick green paste-like sauce for your pasta. This is a healthy choice that tastes great cold and is very safe and easy to pack. You won't have any spoilage worries since your pesto doesn't need to stay refrigerated, just cool.  And because the pesto is olive oil based, it coats the pasta nicely so you won't end up with a sticky gob of noodles. Instead, you'll be treated to a bright, flavorful, and nutritious meal as you enjoy the great outdoors.

Vinaigrette

The best pasta salads for picnics are made with a vinaigrette dressing. The reason vinaigrette dressed salads are the hands-down winner for a summertime soiree is, again, no dairy products to spoil.  Well, that, and the fact that a good vinaigrette just brightens any salad.  A super simple salad made with cooled pasta, diced sausage, fresh chopped herbs, and some crunchy vegetables will be a welcome sight at any picnic. Try experimenting with different types of vinaigrette to see which one your family likes the most. And if you find a vinaigrette you love, but it's a bit too strong on your pasta salad, just whisk in some olive oil into the vinaigrette to calm the flavor down a bit. You can't go wrong with a good vinaigrette.

Food Safety Reminders for Outdoors

Again, when thinking of pasta salads for your picnic, it is important to stay clear of mayonnaise or other dairy based dressings as they can, and do, spoil. It doesn't take much warmth to start the spoilage process. Instead, stick to your olive oil based vinaigrette style dressings. Even a tiny bit of a tummy ache can ruin your day, and it could be so much worse. Take this simple precaution and your family will thank you for your consideration of their digestive tracts.

It should also be noted that although you aren't using any dairy products in your salads, you should still pack them in a cooler with ice and keep it in the shade.  If you're using a picnic basket, choose a frozen gel pack and add it to the basket along with your food.  Even so-called 'safe' food needs to be kept cool, if not cold. 

One trick for packing ice with food is to freeze drinking water in plastic bottles, then use those for the ice in your cooler or picnic basket.  That way, as the 'ice' melts, you have a supply of drinking water – dual purpose ice.

Are you starting to see pasta less as a hot, heavy, red meat sauce smothered dish and more as a bright, light, fresh, and healthy picnic salad?  Good. Now go out there and whip up a cool, refreshing pasta salad, and head out for that favorite picnic spot and enjoy the day... and the salad!

Healthier Pasta Dishes You Can Cook At Home

   Pasta Classics Pack Big Flavor In Little Portions

With numerous people trying to eat a lot healthier, the thought of getting a kick out of a pasta dish might seem to be off the table. A big platter of pasta covered in sauce conjures up ideas of a growing belly, unbuttoned trousers, and walking away from the dining room to settle onto the couch and sink in to a carbohydrate induced snooze.

Actually, many of the most beloved pasta meals passed down from generation to generation just weren't originally so calorie dense. Pasta recipes were meant to be rich in flavor, and not in carbs and fat.

Exactly what do we do to cook healthier pasta dishes? Return to the original recipes which were jam-packed with flavor, keeping in mind quality over quantity. Right here are 3 classic pasta recipes that are made to please your taste buds as well as your appetite without eating large portions.

Vodka Penne

This is a ridiculously easy pasta dish is so full of intense flavors, you will satisfy your taste buds with small portions. To make this course, select a good high quality marinara sauce, either homemade or store bought, a mug of vodka, half a cup of heavy cream, a half cup of grated Parmesan cheese, and a pound of your favorite penne pasta.

Let the marinara and vodka simmer in a skillet over low heat to cook out the alcohol yet leave the taste. A little plate is all you will need to fulfill your appetite due to the extremely flavor and velvety taste.

Parmesan Prosciutto Cavatappi

This is a wonderful light pasta course that will definitely become a go-to dish for your family members due to the fact that it's so effortless to make and so yummy. All you want is cavatappi, which is a spiral pasta, diced garlic, some fresh parsley, olive oil, thinly sliced prosciutto, and freshly shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Boil the cavatappi according to directions, setting aside 3 tbsps of the pasta water after cooking, at that point drain the pasta well. In a large skillet, add a little olive oil, add the garlic clove and cook for about a minute. Add the reserved pasta water, prosciutto and parsley, stir up together, then incorporate the cavatappi. Add salt to taste as well as pepper, then top with the shaved cheese and stir instantly to melt the cheese. Serve the pasta hot with even more shaved cheese on top if desired. This simple pasta meal is perfect for anyone that would like to do low work preparing a dish but take pleasure in maximum flavor. This recipe has such depth of taste that you only need a small portion size to satisfy your cravings.

Lime Basil Parmesan Pasta

 How can you make a mistake with two powerhouses of flavor like lemon and basil? With the refreshingly light taste of lime and the earthier taste of basil, the tastes bet off each perfectly. Add to that the saltiness of Parmesan cheese and you will not leave the table hungry. For this easy dish all you'll need is 1 pound of spaghetti, 2 cups of freshly grated Parmesan, 3/4 cup of lime juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 tablespoon of lemon zest, as well as 2 cups of basil leaves cut chiffonade style.

 Boil the spaghetti until just al dente. While the pasta is cooking, put the Parmesan and lemon juice in a large serving bowl and begin whisking, pouring in the olive oil in while you whisk till it comes to be soft and frothy. Sprinkle with salt as well as pepper, add the lemon zest, and stir to combine. Then include the prepared, drained spaghetti along with the basil, tossing with the dressing in order to coat well. This light as well as lemony meal boasts such incredible tastes that you'll only eat a small portion, keeping the fats, carbs, and calories at a remarkably respectable level.

  When you cook pasta dishes using powerful, multi-layer flavors, you don't have to heap a big dinner plate full to satisfy your appetite.  Start with healthier ingredients, such as olive oil, lemon, herbs, and whole wheat pasta, then you can add in the foods and flavors that change an ordinary plate of noodles to a fantastic gourmet pasta dish that any restaurant would be proud to serve.  And with flavors that pack a punch, you will not pack on the pounds. Enjoy smaller portions, healthier ingredients, and bigger flavor when you cook these delicious pasta dishes on the lighter side.

5 Ingredients Or Less Pata Dishes

How To Make Delicious Pasta Dishes Fast With Five Ingredients Or Less

When you think of pasta do you think of meat sauce bubbling away on the stove top all day? Well, that's delicious, but sometimes we don't have all day to simmer a sauce. Can you create a tasty pasta dish without spending all day in the kitchen?

The answer is, yes!  Making a good pasta dish does not have to be difficult.  The wonderful thing about pasta is that you can use very few ingredients and make a slew of different dishes that the whole family will enjoy, and it won't take you all day.  Here are a few quick, delicious pasta dishes to try.

Pasta Bake

This is a super simple pasta dish that can be created in thirty minutes or less. Pasta Bake is a generic term I'm using here for any type of pasta, meat, sauce and cheese combination made exceptionally gooey and delicious by placing it in the oven to bake rather than cooking it all in a pot. The idea is that once you have your pasta cooked, pick a sauce, some cheese, maybe some veggies, and rather than just stir it all together, turn it out into a casserole dish and bake it.  Baking it just makes the dish look more appealing and taste better.  Let's just say it's more like dinner and less like something thrown together on a hotplate in a college dorm room.

How easy is this dish? Just put any pasta you cook, ziti, rigatoni, spaghetti or whatever, in a buttered or oiled casserole dish, then add whatever you have on hand. Grab some tomato sauce and even a little tomato juice and mix it in, along with some dried oregano. Stir in that last bit of muenster cheese and add a little yellow mustard for tangy goodness. Maybe a spoonful of sour cream, too. See what kind of sausage links you have left from breakfast. Top with shredded mozzarella or Parmesan. Experimenting with different ingredients is key, but what takes this dish from being just a mixed-up bunch of noodles to a delicious pasta dinner is that you baked it. Pulling a casserole out of the oven is so much nicer than just scooping noodles out of a pot.

Tortellini Soup

Most people don't automatically think of soup when thinking about how to make a simple dinner using pasta as the key ingredient.  But, tortellini soup is definitely one meal to keep in mind.  This soup is filling and light at the same time. Tortellini soup consists of chicken cut into chunks, chicken broth, a couple carrots cut into rounds, either Swiss chard or kale depending on your taste for greens, and a package of tortellini.

Bring the broth and carrots to a rolling boil and let them cook for about seven minutes, just until the carrots are softened. Then add the chicken and simmer for just a minute, since it's already cooked.  Cut your greens up into small strips and add to the soup, then add in the tortellini and cook following directions on the package of tortellini. This is such a simple soup, but it tastes amazing, and is actually rather elegant. You can omit the chicken if you want and choose a meat stuffed tortellini. You could also choose the cheese stuffed tortellini and add a handful of diced tomatoes or some tomato juice to the broth. No matter what you add to this soup, it's never going to take very long to make, so you can serve a delicious pasta dinner on the table quick and easy.

Pasta Carbonara

For a meal with only five ingredients, pasta carbonara is one of the most delicious dishes you will make.  And, the best part is you probably have all of the ingredients in your fridge and pantry right now. You will need a box of spaghetti, about six strips of bacon, diced and fried crisp, four egg yolks, a cup of Parmesan cheese, and some frozen peas. Add some chopped parsley on top and you have a pretty pasta dish that tastes better than many you will find in a restaurant.

When making this simple dish, it is important to have the egg yolks and Parmesan mixture ready before the pasta is done cooking. The heat from the pasta, after you drain it, is what cooks the egg yolks.  Just whisk together your egg yolks and Parmesan cheese in a big bowl. Then dump in your drained pasta and stir.  Add the peas and the bacon, and that's it. You have a pasta dish that is ready to serve in practically no time at all, and one that tastes as good as it looks.

A great pasta meal is only five ingredients away... or less.  All it takes to create simple pasta dishes is a bit of creativity and the willingness to experiment. Dig around in your kitchen right now and I'll bet you find the inspiration you need to throw together a fabulous pasta dinner with very little fuss at all.

Cook Pasta Perfectly Every Time

Use These Pasta Cooking Tips For Perfect Noodles Every Time!

Do you wish there was a way to cook pasta perfectly every time? Do you struggle with under-cooking your pasta so it is still crunchy, or over-cooking it so it becomes mush when you try to stir in the sauce?

Perfectly cooked pasta is easy to achieve and it doesn't require any special or unique gadgets from a high-end cooking store or “as seen on TV” products.  All you need is a good sized pot, fresh water, and a big strainer or colander.  Chances are you have everything already.  Aside from those few items, it all boils down to technique when it comes to cooking perfect pasta. Let's review the basics.

Preparation

If you are working with boxed pasta, an important thing to remember is to make sure to salt your water before cooking your pasta. This is the only time you have a chance to flavor prepackaged pasta while you cook it. If you want even more flavor to infuse your pasta, add herbs along with the salt, or cook the pasta in chicken or vegetable stock instead of water. You can also throw in vegetables if you like to add more color and nutrition. The point is, you have to do something with store bought pasta other than just throw it in some water if you want to get the most flavor impact with the pasta.

When cooking homemade pasta, be sure that it is fairly dry. The reason it needs to be dry is to keep it from falling apart in the water. It also helps the pasta cook evenly. When you made your pasta you added salt, so adding salt to the water is optional for homemade pasta.  However, you certainly may add salt if you desire, as well as other seasonings.

Cooking

Choose the largest pot you can for the amount of pasta you're cooking. The reason is you want your pasta to cook in as much water as possible. Pasta needs room to move around. Fill your pot with cold, fresh water and set it on the stove on high heat and bring it to a boil, then turn the heat down a bit until it calms down slightly. Pasta consists of a lot of starch, which gets extremely sticky when it is put into rapidly boiling water quickly. Make sure the water has calmed down from a rapid boil, then slowly and carefully add your pasta. Adding the pasta slowly allows the pasta to soften and begin to move around so the starch doesn't keep the pasta pieces stuck together, as they will if the pasta is added all at once.

Some cooks like to add a little oil to the water to keep the pasta separated. Other cooks don't like to do this because they say sauce doesn't stick to the pasta as well. Just experiment and see what you think.

Don't let your water come to a rapid boil again after the pasta is added. If the water starts splashing over the sides or you see foam rise up, the water is too hot. Pasta, even though it feels hard and brittle, is actually quite fragile. If it boils, it will start to break down and all those wonderful strands will become a big ball of starch. Let the water gently bubble away, caressing each piece of pasta until they are all relaxed. That's the image you want to keep so your pasta doesn't go bad.

When you are cooking the pasta, be sure to stir gently several times and test for doneness often. Follow the instructions on the box if you're using packaged pasta and start testing before the recommended time is up. Just remove a piece from the pot while it's still cooking, cool it off, and bite it.  You'll know the pasta's ready when you feel a bit of resistance when you bite down with your teeth. You don't want it to go 'crunch' but you do want a nice feel to it.  And remember, it will cook slightly after you drain it, so less cooked is better.

Draining

Here's where there is some debate. Some cooks swear by rinsing their cooked pasta under hot tap water after it drains in order to remove any starchy residue left. Other cooks swear if you cook your pasta correctly there won't be any starchy residue left. 

If you added oil to the water, rinsing it will remove most of the oil which defeats the purpose of the oil.  Rinsing also will remove all that salt and other flavoring you added.  However, if your pasta seems to be sticking together in the colander, you may want to rinse it.  And, if you are using your pasta in a cold salad, there are some cooks who recommend running the pasta under cold water to stop it from cooking, keeping it more al dente, and to cool it down for the recipe.

You'll have to experiment on this one.  If you follow the first tips about having a lot of water in your pot for the pasta to move around in, salting the water, and keeping the water at a slow roll instead of a rapid boil, your pasta should come out perfectly.  Try draining it without rinsing and see what happens.  Your pasta could be perfect at that.  Or, rinse it if you like and give it a taste and see if that works for you. Perfecting the pasta really takes place in the pot, and not in the strainer or colander.

Cooking pasta perfectly is simple if you know the basics. The fun part after you've mastered this skill is playing around with different flavors and all the varieties of pasta available.  Now you have perfect pasta, perfectly delicious, every time!

Fresh Pasta Ideas For Summertime

Get Creative With Fresh Pasta Ideas To Beat The Summer Heat

There is something in the air when the first days of summer roll around. Everyone is excited to plan some fun, and some good eating!  The same standard pasta dishes we make all winter just won't do when the days are hot and the nights are balmy. It's time to get the creative juices flowing.  We need to think fresh, both in ideas and ingredients.

Let's take a look at how three simple ideas can help freshen up your time honored pasta traditions this summer.

Be Creative

If any food can be thought of as 'fun,' pasta would fit the bill. There is so much versatility with pasta that there is no reason to be stuck in the “same old, same old” mode.  For example, add some food coloring to the cooking water with the pasta. Experiment with this and have fun.  Boil several pots with different colors and create your own rainbow palate of pasta. Try different shaped pasta, but remember that the larger heavier pastas won't color as well as the smaller lighter styles.

For kids you might like to try this fun meal idea. Make a batch of green 'wagon wheel' pasta and toss together with diced fresh carrots to create a two color cold pasta dish kids will love. You might want to do a batch of red 'wagon wheel' pasta and toss with green sweet peas, flip-flopping the other color combination. Serve both cold pasta dishes and create an 'opposite day' meal. You might even get your kids to eat their vegetables when they're in a salad surrounded by colorful pasta. Of course you can buy tri-color pasta, but making it at home is a great way to provide a little entertainment for the kids, as well as provide a healthy meal.

Colors are certainly fun, but what about flavors?  We're not talking about buying pasta in different flavors.  We're talking about imparting flavor into the pasta from the liquid they're cooked in. Use good rich stock or broth, either chicken, or vegetable, or even beef. This is a great way to give pasta an extra flavor punch, but why stop there? Thin out some tomato juice with a little water and try that. How about lemon juice?

And don't forget that just by adding vegetables or fruit to the cooking water you will impart those flavors into the pasta. Spinach is the first one that comes to many people's mind, but don't stop there. Consider the entire produce section and have fun!  And why even stop there? What about wine or beer?  Who knows, maybe Guinness Spaghetti will be the next big hit with your friends.

Be Fresh

The rest of the year may be all about rushing around trying to keep our schedules straight, but during the summer, time just seems to slow down. We move a little slower, take time to enjoy the splendor of a beautiful day, consider our health and well being as top priority for a change.

Summertime is a great time to reconsider what we put into our pasta dishes. Sure, it may be super easy to buy a jar of pasta sauce, but why not take the extra time and create our own with fresh produce? After all, the ingredients are right there, hanging from the vine or fresh at the market.

Using fresh ingredients in our pasta dishes gives us a whole new outlook on our healthy eating habits.  Not only does it brighten up the dish, but cooking with fresh ingredients makes us feel strong and in control. We know we are eating right, and feeding our family right.

Be Safe

Food safety is a concern, always, but especially during the summer. The main culprit causing the concern is the food served at picnics and cookouts.  Pasta salads are a favorite, but since many of these dishes are made with mayonnaise, sour cream, or yogurt, they are naturally suspect in warm weather conditions.

Spoilage happens when these types of salads get warm sitting out on the picnic table. The best and simplest solution is to skip the creamy salads entirely. During the summer, opt for vinaigrette style dressings. These are the oil and vinegar type of dressing which are normally whisked together with other seasonings and ingredients that do not need constant refrigeration.  When creating your pasta salad to serve at a picnic, just keep this simple tip in mind:  if you wouldn't leave a particular ingredient on your kitchen counter, don't put it in your salad.

Even salads made with all spoil-resistant foods still need to be kept as cold as possible.  When transporting the salad, keep it in an insulated cooler with ice.  When you put the salad on the table, set it in a larger bowl or tray filled with ice, and keep the entire set-up covered with aluminum foil to hold in the cold.  With these few safety precautions, your salad will be safe to eat.  And with all your creativity, your salad will also be fun to eat.

During the warm summer months, as you are trying to think of something to bring to the picnic, consider a delicious pasta salad. Have fun with creative ideas, use fresh ingredients, and keep safety in  mind. With these three tips, you'll be able to enjoy a different fun pasta salad at every picnic!

Find The Right Pasta For Your Taste Buds

There Is A Different Pasta For Every Palate

Pasta comes in many different shapes, sizes, textures, and even flavors. Some people love to dig in and try every new kind of pasta they see. While others feel that anything other than the thin spaghetti they grew up with just wouldn't be right. Of course there are the elbow macaroni fans who would never renounce their loyalty to the classic.

With all the variety available, isn't it time you explored what could be waiting for you?  Let's take a look at what to consider when you're ready to branch out in the fascinating world of pasta.

Textures

Different pastas feel different in both the bite and on the tongue. The shape and texture are often created on purpose. For instance, some pastas have ridges, others have waves, and some are a little rough. These textures are put there intentionally to help hold on to more of the sauce. One of the best textured pastas to hold onto sauce is the rotini pasta. It's heavy spiral design grabs sauce and won't let go of it. But, even though it's very textured, it has a lighter feeling on the tongue and a softer bite.

Pasta in tubular shapes, such as rigatoni, elbow macaroni, penne, ziti, and others are perfect to create a good bite. They are also great for holding a lot of sauce because they are a hollowed out tube.  Of course, a shell shaped pasta also holds a lot of sauce in its 'cup' but it has a much more tender bite and is soft to the tongue. Thin spaghetti and angel hair spaghetti have a delicate, small bite, with a texture most everyone loves. Other long pasta like fettuccine and linguine have a thick, serious bite meant to be heavier than spaghetti.

Of course, not all textures are pleasing to all people. There are some textures that just bother people. For instance, pastas made with whole wheat generally have a grainy texture which is due to the natural coarseness of the whole wheat grain. Some people can't get beyond that particular texture.

Flavors

For the more traditional folks, anything other than the typical boxed pasta flavor is beyond the realm of understanding. Why would anyone want to try something different? Sure, they might try spinach flavored pasta or sundried tomato flavored pasta, but that's about as far as they'll go. But, you can infuse just about any type of flavor into pasta that you can dream up.

For the more eclectic and daring individuals, there are pastas that fall way off the grid.  You'll find squid ink pastas, carrot beet sweet pea pastas, and even chocolate peanut butter pasta.  Would you buy these or try to make them? Well, when you think about it, why not enjoy a dessert pasta that tastes like a peanut butter cup. If you can't quite wrap your brain around that, try to think of pasta as just another pastry, since they're both made with basically the same ingredients. Whether you try a savory or sweet, pasta can accept just about any flavor you want to try. 

Style

If there are hundreds of different flavors of pasta, there are probably thousands of different styles, each with their own unique qualities. While some styles you may never hear about, let alone cook, the folks immersed in the art and science of making pasta won't let you down. Aren't you glad somebody is creating all these styles of pasta so we can just enjoy them? There is a sort of “pasta personality” that, when we think about it, makes sense. We attach emotions to our food, so pasta does create a bit of a feeling when we see it in dishes.  Either we know it and love it, or it just seems wrong.

Specific shapes of pasta, along with the texture, varies from culture to culture.  The spaghetti sold in America is different than the spaghetti you would eat in Italy. For years, at least in America, spaghetti, the pasta, was confused with spaghetti, the dish.  It wasn't until the fact that spaghetti is the pasta got  straightened out that we started to see dishes using spaghetti in ways other than topped with red sauce. But, for many, ordering or making 'spaghetti' still means a dish of thin noodles piled high with red-sauce. Old habits die hard.

Other pastas went through the same naming process, where the dish became known by the name of the pasta itself.  Take, for instance, Baked Ziti.  This delightful casserole is simply named after the pasta used in making the dish - ziti. 

And then, of course, there's Macaroni and Cheese. The term 'macaroni' actually refers to the type of dough used to make this pasta.  But the shape, the elbow macaroni, is the original image of “Mac and Cheese” in every child's hungry imagination.  However, things changed, and now this cheesy plate of noodles, whether the noodles are 'macaroni' or not, is still called Macaroni and Cheese.  You can use rotini, shell, rigatoni, penne, rotelle, or any combination of these popular pastas and you still have “Macaroni and Cheese” on your plate.

No matter how attached we are to these styles of pasta dishes, we know that just about any pasta can be used in just about any dish.  It's fun to try new shapes in order to see if you stumble upon something better.  The first person to use shell pasta instead of elbow macaroni in their Macaroni and Cheese probably noticed the pool of cheese sitting in the shell.  Why not make it that way all the time?  Or perhaps a hearty meat sauce seemed even more hearty when served over penne pasta rather than spaghetti. Even lasagna doesn't need to be made with lasagna style pasta!

Pasta has a variety of textures, flavors, and styles. There is always an open invitation to experiment and find a new twist on an old favorite pasta dish. Scrub your old habits and bring out a pasta you have never tried. Re-examine and re-discover all your favorite pasta dishes by exploring the big, wonderful world of pasta.

Help! What Pasta Do I Use For My Sauce

Select The Correct Pasta To Suit The Dish

There is a fine art to selecting the most appropriate pasta for a dish. Matching the most suitable pasta at your disposal to the sauce in a recipe takes some understanding of what's readily available and how the flavors and textures blend. Let's take a look at how pastas stack up.

Choose the Size

If every pasta was small like ditali, how would you be able to pick up large amounts of creamy, cheesy goodness with every single bite? You would have a lot of little noodles sunk inside a sea of ricotta and Parmesan. Size is very important when it concerns pairing pasta with a sauce or filling. Some pastas are small and delicate, not necessarily meant to pick up heavy sauce. Other pasta, like jumbo shells or manicotti are large and open so they can either be stuffed or the sauce will naturally fill the hollows.

In a world where pasta is all the same, it would all be spaghetti and it would always be served with a simple tomato sauce. That does not sound very exciting. Matching a variety of pastas to a variety of sauces is how meals stay interesting, and tasty.

Small pastas are supposed to be light in their 'bite' and delicate, and dished up with light, fresh sauces. Ingredients should all be small and light in weight, such as freshly grated Parmesan cheese as opposed to chunks of Cheddar or melted mozzarella. Larger pasta is heavier and firm, suitable for big pieces of meat, vegetables, and heavy cheese, and can stand up to more flavorful, sturdy sauces.

Choose the Texture

If your pasta has a heavy sauce it will need to 'grab' and hold, you want to think about texture. With just a change in the variety of pasta you use, you can make a big difference in how your meal turns out. Ridges, holes, openings, cups, spirals, bumps, waves, and whole grains are all ways that pasta hangs onto sauce to create a dish which is richer and deeper in flavor.

A delicate, slippery pasta, like angel hair, won't stand up if you serve it with a chunky tomato sauce. Your dinner guests will wind up eating the pasta separately from the sauce, since the heavy chunks of tomatoes will slide right off the pasta. Choosing a heavier textured pasta, such as corzetti, orecchiette, or even rotini will grab the larger pieces and let your fork hold onto everything with greater success.

If you are trying to figure out what pasta would go best with your sauce, consider texture as a starting point. Find a texture that will do what you want with the sauce and then work from there to start narrowing down the pasta you choose.

Choose the Function

After size and texture, function is a key to picking the right pasta for your dish. If you have big chunks of meat and veggies in your dish, you will need a pasta that won't disappear under the weight and be useless. So, consider what you want your pasta to do.

If you need a pasta that just sucks sauce to it like a magnet, you might think about quadrefiore or fusilli. Then again, soups generally contain small hollow pasta like trottoli or tubetti rigati, such as pasta fagioli at an Italian restaurant.

You have pasta intended to stuff and pasta intended to form a large pasta layer. You have very, very tiny pasta that is used to make light fluffy salads that look more like rice than pasta salads. If you want a big, heavy, hearty dish, you need to choose a big, heavy, hearty pasta.

Pick the best pasta to go with your dish to get the best results. Look at the size you will need, the texture the pasta has, and even the function the pasta should serve. By comparing these three elements, you can pick out a great style of pasta for your dish and impress everyone at the table with your perfectly executed pasta dish, at every layer.