Pasta 101: A Complete Guide On How To Make Pasta Like A Pro

Let’s agree, Italian cuisine has become an indispensable part of Indian food habits. Every nook and corner of the country has at least one Italian food joint serving freshly-baked pizzas, saucy pasta, risotto and more. And we can’t deny pasta remains one of the most popular choices among all (another one being pizza). From street-side stalls to the finest of restaurants, we find people thronging the eateries to enjoy this humble delicacy. That’s not all. Today, we also make a variety of pasta at home too. But mostly we often end up making it soggy or overcooked. Wonder why? The answer lies in the raw pasta. As per experts, we need to make it ‘al dante’ – which literally translates to ‘to the tooth’; meaning, the pasta should be chewy. Now, this brings up another question – what is the trick behind al dante? Fret not, here we are here to help you out.

In this article, we will take you through a complete guide on how to make pasta perfectly. Let’s start with understanding the boiling procedure.

How To Boil Pasta Perfectly:

As mentioned earlier, the idea is to see if the pasta is perfectly al dante. To do that, we need to take half a litre of water per 100 grams of raw pasta. Find the steps below:

• Boil 500ml water in a large, high-sided pan.
• To it, add 2 tsp salt and 1 tbsp olive oil. Bring it to a boil.
• Now, add 100 grams of pasta (sufficient for one person) and cook for exactly eight minutes. If you have penne or other thick pasta, then keep it for 10 minutes.
• Keep stirring while the pasta gets boiled to prevent it from sticking to the pan.
• Strain the water and allow the pasta to steam dry for a minute before you add it to the desired sauce.

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Here Are 5 Mistakes To Avoid While Boiling Pasta:

By now, we all know boiling pasta can be a tricky job. One basic mistake can ruin the dish completely. Here are a few common mistakes people should avoid cautiously.

• Never rinse the pasta after boiling it. It will wash away the salt and the natural starch, making it taste bland.
• It is important to strain the excess pasta water to prevent it from turning sticky or soggy.
• Many of us boil the pasta and then prepare the sauce. But it should be the opposite way. Cooking pasta beforehand can make it dry; this will further not allow the sauce to coat properly.
• Do not throw away the excess boiled water. You might need it to add to the sauce if it turns dry.
• Make sure to add adequate salt to your pasta water to properly season it.

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Here Are 5 Classic Pasta Recipes For You:

Now that you know how to boil pasta properly, let’s take you to the next step of how to make a dish out of boiled pasta. Here we curated some of our favourite pasta recipes that are classic, delicious and will instantly tug at heartstrings. Find the recipes below.

Spaghetti Aglio Olio:

It is possibly one of the simplest pasta recipes one can cook. A traditional dish from Naples, it is made using garlic (Aglio) and olive oil (olio). The best part is you have the liberty to use the oil and garlic as much as you want. So do not shy away from making the spaghetti oily and spicy! Click here for the recipe.

Pasta Carbonara:

The dish derives its name from ‘carbone’, meaning coal. It was popular among coal miners and includes a generous amount of bacon in it. It is simple and fuss-free and makes for a perfect recipe when you are in no mood for cooking. Click here for the recipe.

Spaghetti Bolognese:

Much loved by every non-vegetarian, bolognese sauce is a meat-based sauce that finds its origin in Bologna, Italy. This recipe, preferably cooked with spaghetti, used minced lamb meat, onions, tomatoes and a generous amount of parmesan cheese. Click here for the recipe.

Pasta Arrabbiata:

This dish is ideal for the ones who like everything hot and spicy. ‘Arrabbiata’ in Italian literally means angry. This means the pasta refers its name to the spiciness of the chilli used in the sauce. Click here for the recipe.

Basil Pesto Pasta:

A herby pasta that is rich in flavours, this dish spells indulgence. Here, we make a pesto sauce with basil, garlic, olive oil and a few other ingredients and toss the cooked pasta in it. Click here for the recipe.

What are you waiting for? Follow these steps and recipes and make yourself a delicious bowl of pasta today. Do let us know which one of the above you tried first.