Food Tips
5 Mistakes To Avoid When Cooking Pasta
Photography, Karolina Kolodziejczak, Unsplash.com
Food Tips
5 Mistakes To Avoid When Cooking Pasta
Who doesn't love pasta?
Pasta is a staple for quick and easy recipes, but cooking it correctly is key to getting the most flavourful meal.
Here are five common mistakes people make when cooking pasta and how to avoid them.
Not Salting the Water
If you haven't been salting your pasta water, it's time to start! Adding plenty of salt to the boiling water enhances the flavour of your pasta and ensures it isn't bland. You’ll never go back once you taste the difference!
Adding Oil to the Water
Despite popular belief, adding olive oil to the pasta water is unnecessary and counterproductive. Oil and water don't mix; the oil will float on top and prevent your sauce from sticking to the pasta. Save your olive oil for dressing or cooking in the sauce.
Adding the Sauce to the Pasta
Always combine your pasta with your sauce in a saucepan while the sauce is still simmering. Don't let the pasta sit on the stove after you’ve drained it; it will cool down, stick together and lose flavour and texture. Instead, take your pasta directly from its water and mix it in with the sauce so it absorbs the sauce and is evenly coated.
Rinsing the Pasta
While draining pasta is essential, rinsing it is not. Rinsing removes the starch that helps the sauce adhere to the pasta. The only exception is when making pasta salad, where a quick rinse with a bit of oil can help prevent sticking.
Underestimating the Importance of Water
The amount of water you use when cooking pasta is crucial. Always use plenty of water to ensure the pasta cooks evenly and doesn't stick together. Also, never throw away your pasta water. It's valuable for thinning out sauces that are too thick or adding extra flavour.
Recommended
7 Most Common Nutrition Myths
Comments