How To Make Pasta Taste Better

5 Ways to Make Pasta Taste Like It Does in a Restaurant (Without Cream)

Have you ever eaten a forkful of spaghetti or penne at a high-end restaurant and wondered why it was so much richer and velvetier than the stuff you cook at home? Yes, most of them use far more butter, cream, and cheese than you’d ever consider using in your own kitchen. However, they also rely on certain clever cooking processes to ensure that their pasta has the greatest possible texture when served. In other cases, people may forego dairy completely in favor of some surprising substitute foods.

Here are five brilliant strategies for creating creamy, delectable pasta without relying on excessive amounts of heavy ingredients.

1. Don’t cook the pasta in advance.

You’ve probably tasted a forkful of pasta or penne at a high-end restaurant and wondered why it’s so more richer and velvetier than the stuff you prepare at home. While most of them need a lot more butter, cream, and cheese than you would normally use in your cooking, there are few exceptions. To achieve the greatest possible texture from their pasta, however, they rely on a few clever cooking procedures. Some people even choose to forego dairy completely in favor of some surprise substitutes.

Find out how to make creamy, tasty pasta without using a lot of heavy ingredients with these five ingenious tips and tricks!

2. Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce.

Surprise! When you rinse your pasta, it should be slightly underdone, contrary to popular belief. Boni recommends cooking for two minutes less than the time specified on the package. Don’t be concerned if it appears to be a touch too al dente. Since the pasta should be added immediately to the pan where the sauce is still boiling, you should toss the pasta continually over high heat for two to three minutes after it has been drained and rinsed. This procedure not only aids in the absorption of the sauce’s tastes by the pasta, but it also allows the starch contained inside the pasta to be released, resulting in a richer and creamier consistency overall.

And, according to Boni, both of these factors lead to a sauce that is thicker and more cohesive.

3. Save the pasta cooking water.

Do not flush all of the waste down the toilet or flush it down the sink. During the cooking process, pasta releases starch into the water, and this starchy liquid performs an important function in allowing your sauce to bind together. It is the emulsion of water, oil, and starch that gives creaminess to the product. Having more starch also has the added benefit of helping you lose weight, according to Boni. When cooking, how much of the cooking liquid do you really need? Every recipe is unique, and with time and experience, you’ll have a better understanding of what works.

(Spoon the liquid into a heatproof measuring cup with a ladle using a ladle.) Boni recommends starting with around half a cup of the cooking water as soon as you combine the pasta with the sauce for a pound of pasta.

Allow the sauce to thicken for a minute or two after it has been simmering. If everything appears to be in order, you’re good to go. In case the sauce appears to be a little dry, add another 1/4 cup and continue to boil the pasta for a few more minutes, or until it reaches the consistency you like.

4. Add the cheese at the end.

While your sauce, pasta, and pasta water are boiling away on the burner, you might be tempted to put that final sprinkle of Parmesan on top. After all, this will guarantee that the cheese melts and that everything is more creamy. No, not at all. The strong heat will cause the cheese to separate, resulting in an oily sauce instead of a smooth sauce. Instead, keep the cheese out of the spaghetti until the pasta and sauce are fully cooked. Then, without stirring, remove the skillet from the heat and set it aside for 20 seconds to allow the pasta to cool somewhat.

5. Skip the dairy altogether.

Keep in mind that butter, cheese, and cream aren’t the only ingredients you’ll be working with when it comes to baking. There are a plethora of plant-based choices available that can provide the nutrient density you desire. At CHLOE, a vegan restaurant in New York City, contributing chef Jenne’ Claiborne makes a creamy cheese sauce out of soaked, raw cashews or sunflower seeds as the foundation for a creamy cheese sauce. Soaking the nuts or seeds overnight softens them and makes them easier to puree in the blender.

In order to balance out the richness of the dish and prevent the avocado from turning brown, she uses lemon juice.

Make a sauce with butternut squash as the foundation.

I bake the squash beforehand to bring out the natural sweet tastes, but you could either steam or cook canned squash instead, she says.

7 Things I Always Do When Making Boxed Pasta

It appears like preparing boxed pasta is straightforward (boil the pasta and drain it before adding the sauce), but as with any other basic dish, it may be difficult. Over and over, we hear the same pasta prohibitions: Don’t forget to salt the water (it should have a sea flavor), don’t break the spaghetti, and don’t just slop on the sauce. You get the gist of it. To help you avoid the hazards of pasta, we’ve created a road map. At the end of the day, superb pasta is both simple and complicated — yet getting there is rather straightforward.

1. Use good-quality noodles.

It is impossible to produce good pasta from lousy pasta. Despite the fact that pasta is merely flour, water, and maybe egg, the process of procuring these raw materials, combining them, extruding them, and drying them is time-consuming. The art of creating dry pasta has been perfected over the years by a large number of Italian companies. However, there are excellent extruded pastas available in boutique shops in the United States, as well as unexpectedly superb factory-made pastas accessible at a lower price range in Europe.

When contemplating a new brand of pasta that you haven’t had before, pay attention to the noodles.

Let’s hope that’s the case.

When spaghetti is pressed through dies, it gives the impression that the sauce has been coaxed into a tight adhering consistency, which is true. There are two of them: Afeltra and Setaro. Any brand from Gragnano, Italy, the dry noodle capital of the world, should do the trick.

2. Think about sauce and shape pairings.

Some pasta shapes are ideal for specific sauces, whereas others are not. Tagliatelle is a type of pasta that is used for Bolognese sauce. Bucatini was created just for Amatriciana and a few other people. These customs are the outcome of innumerable dinners — the consequence of how things shook out as generations of cooks passed down recipes down the generations over ages. Too many regulations, on the other hand, might detract from the pleasant buzz of cooking. Will your life come to an end if you make Bolognese with orecchiette?

Guidelines for converting shapes into sauces should be abstract.

Will that big, chewy, hollow bucatini go well with a delicate clam sauce or a thin coating of only garlic and oil, or will it be too much?

Will the ridges on the rigatoni allow for more vodka sauce to be trapped in each bite?

3. Pull it before it’s al dente.

When pasta is withdrawn from the heat, the cooking process continues; the internal heat of the noodle will continue to progressively drive the noodle toward softness after it has been removed from the water. In order to account for the continuous cooking, we must take the noodles from the water as soon as possible — even before they are al dente. How early do you want to get up? In order to pin down the timing, we must additionally examine the following aspect.

4. Finish it in a pan of simmering sauce.

To truly infuse your pasta with taste, to really dig the essence of your sauce deep into the noodle’s soul, finish your spaghetti in sauce over a high heat until it is hot. Following the draining of the pasta, place the pasta into the pan with your sauce, which has been preheated. Holding the handle of your pan in one hand, throw the pasta into the sauce with tongs while using the other to grab the handle of your skillet. Attempt to maintain momentum for at least 30 seconds. Most successful sauce-and-noodle pairings are sealed by the presence of heat.

The flavor that you receive from ending in this manner may be explosive in intensity.

It is not only that the pasta continues to cook from its inherent heat, but it is also that it continues to soften as a result of the external heat of the sauce and the pan.

Pasta that is intended to be covered in a raw sauce, such as pesto, may be mixed in raw to achieve the greatest results.

5. Add finishing touches.

Once your dry pasta has been cooked, sauced, and served, it’s time for the next step: finishing with extra ingredients. Marcella Hazan, the reigning queen of pasta, recommends finishing noodles coated in oil-based sauces with a last glug of olive oil, and finishing pastas coated in butter-based sauces with even more butter. Approach this stage in the same way you would when adding salt; the flavor that is extracted via this approach increases in direct proportion to the quality of the oil or butter used.

End with rich olive oil from a location like Sicily or Umbria, and you may never forget to finish with oil again.
Cheese, orange or lemon zest, bread crumbs (for taste, salt, and crunch), and colatura (a non-Italian fish sauce such as Red Boat can be used in place of colatura to great effect) are all acceptable additions to a dish.
The window for eating pasta is so tiny, and the period during which pasta is at its peak flavor is so brief.
As the seconds pass, pasta loses taste at a rate that nearly feels exponential.
This is quite difficult.

This is why I try to get everyone seated a few minutes before the pasta is done. Despite the fact that it may seem absurd, 90 seconds might mean the difference between an ethereal carbonara and something that tastes more like Alfredo from a small pizza in the neighborhood.

7. Remind myself that I’m eating a gloriously fun food!

Pasta ranks with such delectable delicacies as Japanese sushi, Mexican tacos, and American barbeque as one of the world’s greatest culinary achievements. To eat is an exciting experience, and the choices are not only limitless, but also eternally inspirational. Just remember to take a deep breath, relax, and recall what you’re eating when you find yourself worrying about how to make pasta or how your spaghetti will taste. Chris Malloy is a contributor to this article. Chris Malloy is a writer who is also pursuing a legal degree.

The Easy Secrets to Way Better Pasta

Making decent pasta is crucial not only because you undoubtedly have a package of it lying around in your cabinet, but also because pasta is one of the few simple dinners that can serve as both a weeknight meal and a dinner for two on a special occasion. But it’s also ready in the time it takes you to change into your designer sweatpants, drink a huge glass of wine, and turn on some sweet Bruno Mars music at the end of a hard day. It’s got the whole seductive Roman trattoria, Lady and the Tramp thing going for it.

As a result, it merits a little amount of respect.
In the event that you become overly preoccupied with monitoring your ex’s Instagram account on your phone, you may wind up with an overflowing dish of mushy noodles, under-seasoned noodles, or noodles whose sauce slides off of them like a poorly fitted suit.
If you must hurl spaghetti at a wall, refrain from doing so; it is not essential.
1.
Not salting your water will result in flavorless pasta, and you’ll be forced to compensate by oversalting your sauce, which is not a smart idea in the long run.
As soon as the water comes to a rolling boil, add your pasta and cook until al dente.
Check the cooking time specified on the packet, but don’t put too much stock in it.

No idea why, but that is how things operate in our nation!

(Tasting your food as it is cooking is one of the most effective strategies to become a better and more informed cook.) You want to cook your pasta toal dente, which means it’ll have a bit of a bite to it—an old boss of mine used to liken the feeling to chewing a piece of gum.

It is important to understand that pasta water is the glue that will keep your final meal together; how to use it.

This carbohydrate aids in the adhesion of your sauce to your pasta (kind of like edible velcro).

If you’re using a sauce, heat it in a skillet with a few splashes of pasta water until it’s beautifully blended, then add your pasta and simmer until it’s nicely combined again.

Do not, under any circumstances, rinse What we learnt about starchy pasta water and how it is beneficial, useful and valuable is still fresh in our minds.

There is just no justification for doing this.

Toss your spaghetti in the sauce to finish it off.

However, if you’re making a sauce of any kind—creamy, tomatoey, or whatever—finish your meal by boiling the pasta and sauce together in the same pot, using some of the pasta water you set aside earlier.

After all, this isn’t a sandwich; the sauce and pasta shouldn’t be placed on top of one another, but rather be well blended.

8 Ways to Elevate Canned Spaghetti Sauce

It’s Buttered Side Up, according to The Pioneer Woman I know what some of you are thinking: “Canned spaghetti sauce?! What are you talking about?” “That’s the work of the Devil!” I’m quite sure we can all agree that the finest spaghetti sauce will always be fresh, homemade spaghetti sauce. The same can be said for practically any handmade cuisine vs store-bought food. The fact is that we all have those days when our schedules are too hectic to devote the necessary time to making a great pasta sauce.

In the meanwhile, we’d want to eat something that genuinely resembles wholesome home-cooked fare.

When it comes to pasta sauces, I’ll be the first to say that the majority of them are rather bland straight from the jar.

My favorite techniques to make bottled spaghetti sauce more interesting are listed below!

1 – Extra virgin olive oil

Making your sauce taste better will be made easier by using a generous amount of a delicious olive oil in the recipe. You may either add it to the pot at the beginning of the cooking process or sprinkle it on right before serving as a finishing oil. It’s entirely up to you!

2 – Fresh garlic

Yes, I am aware that the ingredients for your bottled spaghetti sauce include garlic. The flavor will be more distinct and intense if you use fresh garlic, and the sauce will taste more homemade if you do it as well as you can.

3 – Meat

I enjoy adding extra protein to bottled spaghetti sauce when I make it from scratch. It enhances the flavor and adds a textural aspect to the dish. Furthermore, it will assist you in keeping your stomach full for a longer period of time! You may use any meat you have on hand, such as ground beef, sausage, meatballs, chicken, or a combination of meats. Begin by browning the beef in a skillet with the garlic until it is no longer pink. When the meat is just partly done, you may add the sauce and let it to continue cooking in the sauce, which will give additional flavor to the meat.

4 – Hot pepper flakes

Hot pepper flakes are another method to add a little additional spice to your dish. Yes, you could just buy hot Italian sausage for that extra burst of heat, but for those of us who are a little wary of spicy food, it’s good to be able to regulate the amount of heat we’re exposed to. Furthermore, some meats, such as ground beef, do not have a “hot” option. When you add the pepper flakes, it doesn’t really matter when you do it. All you have to do is keep in mind what it is you want spicy: the meat or the sauce?

And, no, I did not use all of the hot pepper flakes—just thinking about it makes me want to start sweating already!

5 – Red wine

Wine dramatically enhances the flavor of your sauce by adding another layer of complexity. Consider this to be similar to vanilla extract.

Given the limited time available to cook out the alcohol, you want to use only a small amount, just enough to flavor the sauce without imparting too much of an alcohol flavor. Depending on how much sauce you’re preparing, a few of teaspoons should be plenty.

6 – Fresh or dried herbs

Again, herbs may be included among the components in your sauce, but adding fresh or even dried herbs can assist to enhance the tastes. If you are using dried herbs, you may add them at any point throughout the cooking process. Using fresh herbs, you may wish to add them at the end or as a garnish to ensure that the fresh flavor is not lost in the cooking process.

7 – Cheese

Cheese, cheese, cheese. It may be used to conceal a variety of sins, including monotonous spaghetti sauces. If you don’t have Parmesan on hand, you can easily use cheddar, Colby, mozzarella, or whatever else you have on hand instead. I really prefer to use a blend of cheeses, such as mozzarella, that are more melty and a cheese that has more bite, such as Parmesan, in my dishes.

8 – Cream and/or butter

A buddy of mine taught me how to make a tomato sauce with cream for the first time. A red sauce had been prepared, and towards the end, after plating the pasta and sauce, he drizzled heavy cream on top of the dish. While I was watching, I was little terrified that the acidity of the tomatoes might cause the cream to split. However, after tasting the concoction, I was persuaded otherwise. It was just great. As an added richness, I like to sprinkle a small amount of cream on top of my spaghetti sauce before serving.

Oh, absolutely.

Make sure to tell us about your favorite additions in the comments section below!

You may be able to discover further information on this and other related items at the website piano.io.

How Do I Make Pasta at Home That Tastes as Good as My Favorite Italian Restaurant?

Can I make pasta that is as good as the pasta served at my favorite Italian restaurant? Occasionally it’s difficult to find a solution to a culinary query, and sometimes the answer entails creating a delicious pasta meal at home. So why is it that your rigatoni Bolognese on the stovetop does not taste like the rigatoni Bolognese at your favorite neighborhood restaurant? Your rendition, while tasty, misses the harmony of seasoning (salt), balance (acid), and richness that a traditional dish should have (fat).

The solution is actually rather straightforward and boils down to a matter of approach.
It is rather simple to determine whether or not you have followed this procedure.
Consider the pasta dishes you have at a restaurant.
However, if you cook your spaghetti, dish it, and then top it all with a ladleful of ragu, this will not happen.
Before we begin, let us discuss the ground rules of interaction.
The noodle becomes thinner as the sauce becomes thinner (long and skinny capellini with garlic and butter).
Then there are the nooks, crevices, ridges, crags, and crannies that serve to soak up the soupy sauces and help to keep the food warm (penne alla vodka).

Once you’ve decided on your sauce and the type of pasta to use, you’ll need to make sure the noodles are cooked thoroughly.

Pasta need a large amount of space to swim.

Temperature.

Maintaining a constant boil in a big pot of water (one gallon of water for every pound of pasta) while keeping the temperature above the magic 212°F degree mark is the most effective method.

Please don’t do it.

While cooking, the salt ionizes into particles that interact with the water molecules, boosting the boiling temperature and cooking your noodles more quickly than you would normally expect.

Additionally, covering your water and salting it after it gets to a boil rather than at the beginning of the procedure may considerably speed up the process.

Yes, reader, you must keep an eye on your pasta boiling if you want to get the ultimate outcome we have promised.

Once the water returns to a full rolling boil, the velocity of the water should be sufficient to stir the noodles on a continuous basis and prevent them from burning of their own own.

Prepare a colander in the sink to drain your pasta when the timer goes off.

If you want to be extra fancy, you may set the bowls you want to serve your pasta in under the strainer so that they are heated by the pasta water that is draining—a wonderful touch—but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Whatever you do, and regardless of what your Midwesterner parents have taught you, DO NOT rinse your spaghetti before eating it.

Add 1 1/4 cups of cold water from the faucet (some chefs use the starchy pasta cooking water for this; however, the salty water can oversalt your pasta if you’re not careful), and return the pot to the stove to continue cooking over a medium heat while gently stirring constantly until the sauce is thick and bubbly.

Pasta has a starch that functions as an emulsifier, binding the water and fat together and ensuring that the sauce is evenly coated on the noodles.

If you look closely, you may see a magical moment when the sauce emulsifies, which can be distinguished by its velvety texture and somewhat dull transparent shine.

Simply add additional water and continue to simmer, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes back together.

Chef Daniel Holzman and TASTE editor in chief Matt Rodbard are good friends. Matt has a lot of questions about food and home cooking. Daniel offers a diverse range of culinary and home-cooking opinions. In this case, the title is “100 Questions for My Friend the Chef.”

Ingredients

Can you tell me how to make pasta that is as good as the pasta at my favorite Italian restaurant in my neighborhood? There are times when answering a culinary question is difficult, and there are times when answering that question includes cooking a fantastic pasta meal in your own kitchen. So why is it that your rigatoni Bolognese on the stovetop does not taste like the rigatoni Bolognese at your favorite neighborhood restaurant? Your rendition, while tasty, lacks the harmony of seasoning (salt), balance (acid), and richness that a traditional dish would have had (fat). Thank you, Samin, for allowing us to use your item. This is a basic question with a straightforward solution that boils down to practice. It is possible to make excellent pasta when the sauce emulsifies (the oil and water mysteriously combine) and coats the noodles at precisely the moment when the pasta is perfectly cooked. If you’ve followed the steps correctly, it’s rather simple to tell. The sauce should be almost gone from the bottom of the plate by the time you’ve finished eating, as the sauce has become firmly attached to the noodle surface. Remember those delicious spaghetti dishes from the restaurant? You won’t find sauce here, either! However, if you cook your spaghetti, dish it, and then top it all with a ladle of ragu, this will not happen. The difficult part is getting the sauce to attach to the noodles so that you can get a little bit of everything in each mouthful, and there’s a simple, often-overlooked step that makes all the difference: boiling the pasta in the sauce at the same time. First, let’s discuss the ground rules for this discussion. A perfect shape exists for every sauce and there are some guidelines for how to pair them together. The stubbier the pasta, the chunkier the sauce (little ear-shaped orrechietti with sausage and broccoli). The noodle gets thinner as the sauce gets thinner (long and skinny capellini with garlic and butter). Thickness is proportional to size (spaghetti carbonara). Then there are the nooks, crevices, ridges, crags, and crannies that serve to soak up the soupy sauces and help to keep the food moist (penne alla vodka). The good news is that every form goes nicely with a basic tomato sauce, which is great if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed or intimidated by the prospect. It’s important to cook the noodles properly after you’ve decided on a sauce and which pasta to use. The most common error that home chefs do is to cook their pasta in a crowded pot of boiling water. Swimming space is required by pasta. Why? Temperature. To cook properly, the water must be consistently boiling
Cramming too much pasta into a pot causes the water to stop boiling, extending the cooking time and causing the noodles to get soggy, resulting in a sticky and unsatisfactory finished dish. Maintaining a constant boil in a big pot of water (one gallon of water for every pound of pasta) while keeping the temperature over the magic 212°F degree mark is the most efficient method. For the record, I say again, This is the same as the scenario in which you pour a large quantity of pasta into a tiny pot of boiling water and the sizzling hot tub falls quiet. That is not acceptable. Aside from that, adding salt to the water is beneficial. The salt ionizes into particles while it cooks, which interfere with the water molecules, boosting the boiling temperature and cooking your noodles faster. A quarter cup of kosher salt per gallon of water is the ideal proportion. Additionally, covering your water and salting it after it comes to a boil rather than at the start of the process would substantially speed up the procedure. As soon as your large pot of salted water comes to a boil, set a timer for 2 minutes shorter than the package instructions for al dente (toothsome but not overdone), add your pasta, and stir it every 30 seconds to ensure that it does not clump together or sink at the bottom of the pot and burn. In order to get the end result we are promising, you must keep an eye on your pasta as it cooks. I tell you that, while it is difficult to comprehend, burning something in boiling water is both doable and humiliating, as I have experienced first-hand. The velocity of the water should be sufficient to constantly agitate and aerate the noodles, preventing them from burning on their own after the water has returned to a full rolling boil. The golden technique is about to be revealed to you! While your pasta is boiling, prepare your sauce in a different pot and place a colander in the sink so that you can filter your pasta as soon as your timer goes off. The bowls you plan to serve your pasta in should be placed under the strainer so that they are heated by the pasta water as it drains—a pleasant touch, but let us not get ahead of ourselves. When the timer goes off, drain the pasta quickly (and gently), brushing off any excess water, and place it back into the boiling pot. Whatever you do, and regardless of what your Midwesterner parents have taught you, DO NOT rinse your spaghetti before eating it! Refrain from giving in to your desires. Add 1 1/4 cups of cold water from the faucet (some chefs use the starchy pasta cooking water for this
However, the salty water can oversalt your pasta if you’re not careful), and return the pot to the stove to continue cooking over a medium heat while gently stirring constantly until the sauce is thick and bubbling. This method involves cooking the pasta for its last 2 minutes in the sauce while gradually adding more water, a few tablespoons at a time, to moisten the mixture as the noodles soak up the sauce and become more tender. Spaghetti has a starch that functions as an emulsifier, binding the water and fat together and ensuring that the sauce is evenly coated on the pasta noodles. Besides that, you’ll be able to taste the noodles on a regular basis to check for seasoning and doneness, guaranteeing that the pasta is correctly seasoned and cooked each time. When the sauce emulsifies, there is a magical moment that may be characterized by the presence of a velvety texture and a dull transparent sheen. Take it too far and the water evaporates faster than the fat can be retained, resulting in the sauce breaking apart into shiny droplets of oil. Simply add additional water and continue to simmer, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes together again. Properly prepared pasta should be consumed right away, so gather your family around the table and prepare the cheese grater before you start cooking. Chef Daniel Holzman and TASTE editor-in-chief Matt Rodbard are good friends. Food and home cooking are topics that Matt is interested in. A lot of Daniel’s cuisine and home cooking opinions are based on personal experience. There are 100 questions for My Friend the Chef, and it is entitled as such.

For the breadcrumbs

Slowly cook the bread and olive oil in a small saucepan over a very low temperature, turning regularly to ensure that all of the bread is well submerged in the liquid
While watching the bread intently as the oil begins to heat, carefully transfer the slices to a ready paper towel one at a time until they get a rich golden brown color. They will be burned and bitter if they are cooked too long in the dark. Once the pieces have cooled, carefully crush them, removing any untoasted white cores that remain. Spread in a thin layer on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil, and season with a few pinches of salt
Set aside. Toss in the zest of one lemon when you’re ready to serve the dish
Extra oil can be used to cook with in the future or saved for frying future batches of bread crumbs.

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Matt RodbardDaniel Holzman

Chef Daniel Holzman and TASTE editor in chief Matt Rodbard are good friends. Matt has a lot of questions about food and home cooking. Daniel offers a diverse range of culinary and home-cooking opinions. Their piece is titled 100 Food Questions for My Friend the Chef, and it appears on a regular basis.

9 Cooking Tricks To Make Your Pasta Taste So Much Better

Pasta is probably one of the first foods you ever learned to prepare, and it’s probably one that you haven’t really messed with since then. It’s a really basic process: Preparing the noodles: Bring water to a boil (you may want to season them with salt before adding them, or oil to keep them from sticking*, depending on what you were advised) and add rigatoni, spaghetti, or whichever starchy form you choose. However, that is not the only (or even the quickest) method to go about things. Try these culinary hacks to have supper on the table faster—and to appreciate every taste of it even more—this week.

1. Try the Mac Daddy of MacCheese Hacks.

Probably one of the first foods you learnt to prepare was pasta, and it’s one that hasn’t gotten much attention since you started. Basically, it goes like this: Depending on what you’ve been advised, you may want to season the noodles with salt before cooking or use oil to keep them from sticking*. Then add rigatoni, spaghetti or whatever starchy form you want and cook until the noodles are tender but not falling apart. There are other (and faster) ways to accomplish your goals. To get supper on the table faster—and to savor every taste even more—try these culinary shortcuts.

2. Let Your Slow Cooker Do the Work.

Chris Court; food stylist Justine Poole; prop stylist Lucy Tweed; photographer Chris Court Toss in whichever pasta you’d like to use around 15 minutes before your Crock-Pot soup or stew is ready to be served. Thus, you will have one fewer pan to clean, you will not have to wait for the water to boil, and everything will be ready at around the same time. (You can estimate how long it will take by looking at the pasta box directions.). WARNING: It’s tempting to throw everything into the slow cooker at once, including the pasta, and forget about it for the next 6 to 8 hours, but the noodles will completely breakdown, turning the liquid into a starchy mush.

3. Steal Alton Brown’s Cold-Cooking Pasta Hack.

Brown is the first to confess that he “seriously screwed up with pasta cooking” during the first season of Good Eats, when he instructed viewers to bring a gallon of water to a boil before adding the spaghetti strands. These days, he starts by pouring the pasta into the pot and covering it with just enough water to cover the noodles, then bringing it to a boil.

Brown does it because it is a speedier method of cooking, but he also does it because he enjoys the texture of the pasta when it is prepared in this manner. Erika LaPresto is a model and actress.

4. Turn Up the Heat on Your Pasta Water.

Instead of putting everything into a sieve, scoop off the noodles when they are al dente (still firm when bitten) using a slotted spoon or spider (essentially a mesh ladle) and set them aside. Remove all except one cup of the pasta water from the pot, but do not add it to the sauce at this time. Brown advises heating that cup of water until it has been reduced by half, making it quite starchy, and then adding it to your tomato sauce to thicken it up. According to Brown, it “magically thickens” the sauce and is “magical stuff.”

5. Don’t Be Too Chicken to Try Chicken (Broth).

Jonathan Boulton is a British actor who was born in the United Kingdom. In addition to making a mac and cheese sauce that will have people yelling “gimme, gimme more” like a swarm of circa-2009 Britney Spears clones, chicken broth is also a good addition to spring pasta dishes (particularly bacon-based ones). Cooking pasta in approximately 2 1/2 cups of chicken stock and allowing it to simmer until the spaghetti strands are al dente is a good way to spend an afternoon. When you’re finished, there should be just a couple tablespoons of broth remaining, which should be plenty to cook any other vegetables you’d like to include in the recipe, such as asparagus or broccoli.

Jonathan Boulton is a British actor who was born in the United Kingdom.

*6. Skip the Olive Oil.

The Italian chef Lidia Bastianich advises you to avoid adding olive oil to your pasta water in order to prevent the noodles from sticking together. Now. “It goes like this: you toss the spaghetti against a wall and when it sticks, you’ve got a finished product. This is due to the fact that there is a coating of starch on the pasta, and it is to this layer that the sauce adheres. In other words, you don’t want a layer of oil on it, and you don’t want to rinse your pasta “She shared her thoughts with The Splendid Table.

7. Test Jamie Oliver’s Twist Trick.

This material has been downloaded from YouTube. Visiting their website may allow you to access the same stuff in a different format, or it may provide you with even more information than you could get elsewhere. As an alternative to using olive oil, chef Jamie Oliver recommends grasping long noodles with both hands (one on top of the other, as if you’re Gandalf clutching a staff and yelling “you shall not pass!” to ward off a demonic opponent) and twisting them. He explains that if you fan out the noodles before dropping them into a pot of boiling water, they will be less likely to clump together while they cook, he adds.

8. Transform Second-Day Pasta.

Whenever I was a kid, my grandmother would put leftover spaghetti noodles in the fridge and then utilize them to create “fried pasta,” as she called it. A sauté pan would be heated and diced bacon or pancetta cooked in it before she added the noodles and cooked them until they were slightly crispy, as she liked it.

It alters the texture of the meal, resulting in a salty, cracking dish that pairs beautifully with roasted vegetables or a salad on the side.

9. Grab a Spoon Instead of a Lid.

This material has been downloaded from YouTube. Visiting their website may allow you to access the same stuff in a different format, or it may provide you with even more information than you could get elsewhere. For those who have experienced the frustration of covering boiling spaghetti just to have the water bubble over, know that you are not alone and that there is a better solution. Alternatively, placing a long wooden spoon over the top of the pot can function as a buffer, allowing any bubbles that accumulate to break, which in turn forces all of the bubbles beneath to rupture, preventing the froth from flowing over the edge of the saucepan.

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Editor-in-Chief In her spare time, Candace Braun Davison writes, edits, and produces lifestyle content ranging from celebrity stories to DIY projects that can be done in your underwear, all while tirelessly pursuing the greatest of causes: the search for the world’s best chocolate chip cookie.

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25 simple ways to dress up a pasta dinner

Pasta dish ideas include Lemon, Basil, and Mascarpone, Quick Chicken Alfredo, White Wine, Mushrooms, and Cream, White Bean Sauce, Bacon and Scallions, Tuna and Capers, Lemon Artichoke Pesto, Smoked Salmon and Capers, and Caprese salad, among others. When life becomes hectic, spaghetti is a great go-to supper option. The dried type is often inexpensive — especially when it’s on sale two-for-one — and can be served with a jar of prepared sauce in minutes, making supper on the table a cinch to make.

I won’t guarantee that preparing your own sauce is as simple as breaking the vacuum seal on a jar, but there are a variety of techniques to dress up pasta that don’t take much longer than breaking the vacuum seal.
Always reserve a cup or two of the pasta water to use as a finishing touch if the pasta looks to be too dry after it has been sauced.
For example, broad pappardelle smothered in Parmesan and butter is a fantastic dish for a fussy child or an adult who appreciates simplicity in cooking.
In general, strands or ribbons work well with fluid sauces, whereas forms and tubes work well with thick or chunky sauces.
The following 25 basic sauces were culled from a variety of sources and my own personal culinary repertory.
Depending on how hungry your guests are, that quantity can serve six as a beginning or side dish or four as a main course.
These sauces are meant to be used as a starting point for exploration and experimentation.

Tagliatelle are a kind of pasta.

Add 2 cups cherry tomatoes and cook for another 30 seconds, or until the tomatoes are soft.

Bring back to a boil and serve.

Add 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese and 14 cup chopped fresh basil to the spaghetti and toss to combine.

1 stick of butter, chopped into tiny pieces, should be added.

Toss the dish with freshly ground black pepper before serving.

Blend until smooth, then transfer to a large mixing basin.

Vermicelli is a kind of pasta.

TOMATO, ONION, AND MUSHROOM (optional).

Cut 4 tomatoes into wedges and add them to the pot with 2 cups sliced button mushrooms.

The sauce will thicken as it reduces.

Pasta: penne or elbows made from whole wheat Melt 1 stick unsalted butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, then add the chicken and cook until the chicken is no longer pink.

To smooth out lumps in the mixture, add 2 cups milk a bit at a time, stirring constantly.

When the sauce has reached the appropriate consistency, remove it from the heat.

If the food has been cooked for an excessive amount of time, thin it with milk.

Vermicelli is a kind of pasta.

LEMONY SCALLOPHeat 12 cup extra-virgin olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat, then sear scallops for approximately 1 minute, or until firm and white, turning once.

To blend, carefully stir the ingredients together.

Linguine is a kind of pasta.

Cook until the white wine has almost completely evaporated, around 14 cups.

Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Pasta: tagliatelle, vermicelli, or pappardelle are all good choices.

SAUTEED VEGETABLES GARLIC AND BROCCOLI ARE INCLUDED.

Cook for a couple of minutes after adding 3 cups broccoli florets and 12 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, then add 1 12 cups chicken stock to the pan.

Rigatoni, cavatappi, or shells are examples of pasta.

Cook for about 3 minutes per pound of shrimp, peeling them as you go.

Add 4 big, minced garlic cloves, some red pepper flakes, and around 12 cup white wine to the remaining oil in the skillet and heat through.

Cook for a minute more, then add 12 stick butter, cut into chunks.

Combine with the spaghetti and top with parsley leaves, if desired.

11.

14 cup flour and freshly ground pepper should be added at this point.

Add 3 cups shredded Swiss cheese and, once it has melted, add 2 cans drained Northern beans and 1 can drained chopped chilies.

Pasta: cavatappi or rigatoni are two options.

GARLIC AND LEMON WITH ARUGULAHheat 12 cup olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a pan over medium heat until the garlic is soft.

Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

PUTTANESCA is number thirteen.

a small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped; 2 cans diced tomatoes; 1 tablespoon capers; 2 anchovies, drained and chopped; 2 tablespoons capers; a handful of sliced green olives; red pepper flakes; and a small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped Cook for 10 minutes on low heat.

14.
Cook and stir until the onion is soft, adding 1 chopped onion and 2 smashed garlic cloves as needed.
Taste and season with red pepper flakes to your liking.
Fold in 2 (6-ounce) cans of tuna that have been drained and heat thoroughly.
Fresh herbs and toasted breadcrums round off this dish.
Toss in 2 cups of freshly ground breadcrumbs.
Combine with 1 cup finely chopped herbs such as basil, parsley, dill, and oregano, as well as 1 teaspoon sea salt to taste.

Serve immediately.

Pasta is available in two shapes: shells and elbows.

SAUCE FROM WHITE CLAM In a large skillet, heat 14 cup olive oil and 2 minced garlic cloves until fragrant.

Cook for a total of 10 minutes.

Linguine or spaghetti are two types of pasta.

17 Cook 8 pieces of bacon until crispy in a pan over medium heat.

In a separate bowl, combine 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter.

Toss the cooked pasta with the 12 cup of Parmesan and the bacon in the skillet until everything is well combined.

Pasta: shells or penne are two options.

Using 2 drained tuna cans in olive oil to make a salad, combine 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped, 1 cup grape tomatoes, 1 small red onion, thinly sliced, 1 cup cooked green beans, halved, and 14 cup Nicoise olives in a large mixing bowl.

Combine tuna and room-temperature pasta in a large mixing bowl.

GENTLY WARM WITH LEMON, BASIL, AND MASCARPONE In a large pan, combine 5 tablespoons lemon juice, some grated lemon zest, and 8 ounces of mascarpone until smooth.

Toss in the cooked, drained pasta along with a handful of freshly torn basil leaves.

CAPRESEMix is number twenty.

Mix in hot, drained pasta after seasoning it with salt and pepper to taste.

Pasta: fusilli21.

Add 3 minced garlic cloves and the white sections of 4 cut scallions to the pot.

As soon as the liquid has been reduced by a quarter, add 1 12 cups heavy cream.

Combine with heated pasta and 2 cups cooked salmon in a large mixing bowl.

Sauce: orecchiette or rotini22.

Process until the extra-virgin olive oil is emulsified, adding up to 14 cup total.

Linguine is a kind of pasta.

CARBONARA To make the pancetta or bacon, cook 4 ounces chopped pancetta or bacon in 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil until crispy, then add 4 cloves finely chopped garlic.

In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs and 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano-Reggiano.

Spaghetti is a kind of pasta.

SALMON WITH CAPERS AND SMOKED Stir in 8 ounces of softened cream cheese to the drained hot spaghetti until well combined.

Pasta: bow-ties or fusilli25 are recommended.

Season with salt and pepper after adding 1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese to the mixture.

Pappardelle are a kind of pasta. Documentation obtained from the St. Petersburg Times archives, Food Network, Epicurious.com, and the book “Pasta: Every Way for Everyday” by Eric Treuille and Anna Del Conte, among others. Janet K. Keeler can be reached at [email protected].

How to Season Pasta Water (And Why You Should)

We already know how much salt to use while making pasta, but do you knowwhyyou should be salting the water? Having worked as a cook at a farm to table establishment where handmade pasta was a specialty, I gained a great deal of knowledge on how to season pasta water. It didn’t matter how fantastic the noodle recipe was or how much flavor we infused into the pan sauce; the meal would taste bland if we didn’t salt the pasta water before cooking the noodles. Let’s take a peak at the science of flavoring pasta to see why (and how) it works.

Why Should You Salt Your Pasta Water?

It is a frequent misconception that salt causes water to boil quicker; however, salt does not speed up the boiling process; rather, salt just makes the water hotter. The temperature has increased by one degree Celsius. As a result, unless you’re using an inedible amount of salt, you’re not truly using enough to produce a noticeable change in taste. The true purpose of seasoning the pasta water is to season the noodle in question. It’s important to understand that when you put pasta into boiling water, the starch molecules inflate and grow.

If there is salt in the water, the noodles will absorb it as well, and the pasta will become seasoning from the inside out.

Without salt, unsalted pasta water produces bland-tasting noodles since it doesn’t have much flavor on its own.

When compared side by side, a dish cooked with salted pasta water really tastes better overall—not simply because the noodles are better tasting—than a dish produced with unsalted pasta water.

Can You Season Pasta Water With Anything Else?

You can do it. However, it will not have much of an impact. You may flavor your pasta water with peppercorns, onions, fresh herbs, or whatever else you like. It’s unlikely that the pasta will absorb enough water to make the seasoning worthwhile. Cooking pasta with tasty ingredients in the dough or in one of these fantastic sauces after it has been cooked is the most effective method of creating flavorful pasta. Pasta Sauces that are very delectable Home Cooking at Its Finest

Penne alla Vodka

When my husband and I welcome new guests around for supper, this quick and easy pasta dish is always on the menu. Several years later, they have requested that I cook this Penne alla Vodka dish once more for them. The writer, Cara Langer, of Overland Park, Kansas Recipes may be obtained by clicking here. Are you looking for something a bit more refreshing? Try one of these low-fat spaghetti sauce recipes.

Simple Pasta Sauce

This is a basic pasta sauce that may be used for a variety of dishes other than simply spaghetti. This recipe may be pureed to make pizza sauce or a delicious dipping sauce. When making bruschetta, I like to eliminate the olive oil and instead use fire-roasted chopped tomatoes, as well as just combine all of the raw components.

Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving on toasted sourdough bread. —Deborah Markwood from Chester, Virginia. Do you want to try something different tonight? Make one of these delicious vegan spaghetti sauce recipes.

Homemade Fettuccine Alfredo

This simple Alfredo sauce is creamy and cozy, and it coats the fettuccine noodles in a delicious way. This dish is delicious as is, but I like to jazz it up by sautéing sliced fresh mushrooms and black olives in butter and garlic before adding them to the mix. • Jo Gray, a resident of Park City, Montana Yum! Check out our entire guide to spaghetti sauce for even more sauce recipes, as well as helpful hints and advice.

Classic Pesto

Making a creamy, cozy Alfredo sauce is simple, and the sauce coats fettuccine noodles beautifully. It is delicious as itself, but I like to jazz it up by sautéing sliced fresh mushrooms and black olives in butter and garlic until they are soft and juicy. • Jo Gray, a resident of Park City, Montana. Yum! Check out our entire guide to spaghetti sauce for even more sauce recipes, as well as helpful hints and recommendations!

Beef Bolognese with Linguine

The following recipe for beef bolognese is the result of extensive study, tasting, and adjusting. It was inspired by a meal from an Italian restaurant where I formerly worked. It’s ideal for feeding a large group of people in a small space. —Christine Wendland from Browns Mills, New Jersey

Marinara

My mother, who grew up in an Italian-American family, referred to marinara sauce as “gravy.” It was a fixture on our dinner table since she cooked large batches of this marinara sauce recipe many times a month in large quantities. Every time she prepared it, the house was filled with the scent of deliciousness. • James Grimes, from Frenchtown, New Jersey

Homemade Canned Spaghetti Sauce

The best homemade spaghetti sauce recipes for canning are a tomato grower’s dream come true! Make use of your garden’s produce now so that you can enjoy it later in the year. Tonya Branham of Mt. Olive, Alabama, provided the following response:

Tortellini with Tomato-Cream Sauce

This tortellini in a tomato cream sauce is very delectable. In this hearty and filling recipe, spinach, tomatoes, and other pantry staples are put to good use. West Jordan, Utah resident Barbra Stanger shared her thoughts on the subject.

Stamp-of-Approval Spaghetti Sauce

My father has strong opinions, especially when it comes to eating. This recipe gained his very impossible-to-reach seal of endorsement. I have yet to hear anyone who has tried it express dissatisfaction with it! — Melissa Taylor of Higley, Arizona, is a writer.

Homemade Alfredo Sauce

My determination to recreate fettuccine Alfredo was fueled by the discovery that I had celiac disease and couldn’t eat the traditional dish. I served this gluten-free alfredo sauce over gluten-free multigrain pasta, but you may use whatever type of pasta you choose. —Jackie Charlesworth Stiff from Frederick, Colorado.

Mushroom Bolognese with Whole Wheat Pasta

A typical Bolognese sauce is mostly composed of meat, ranging from pig to pancetta in its composition. I omitted the meat from this pasta recipe and instead stuffed it with baby portobellos and vegetables. • Amber Massey, from Argyle in Texas

Spaghetti Meatball Supper

Arriving home to discover my mother in the middle of preparing spaghetti and meatballs for dinner was a real treat.

This is a dish that has always had a special place in my heart. Debbie Heggie of Laramie, Wyoming, sent in this message.

Mushroom Pasta Carbonara

This luscious and delicious mushroom carbonara is one of my favorite dishes. A side salad and buns round off the entrée, which I serve as a complete supper. Marshfield, Wisconsin resident Cindi Bauer contributed to this article.

Meat Sauce for Spaghetti

Simple spaghetti and garlic toast are transformed into a substantial meal with this rich, hearty sauce. Instead of using a slow cooker, I use an electric frying pan to prepare this meal when I’m in a rush. —Mary Tallman of Arbor Vitae in Wisconsin.

Basil and Parsley Pesto

This parsley pesto may be used as a tossing sauce for pasta, a spread for sandwiches, or in one of these inventive pesto recipes. It’s also great when added to a soup of the Italian variety, such as minestrone. Land O’ Lakes resident Lorraine Fina Stevenski shares her thoughts on the subject.

Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce

With the addition of chorizo, this traditional Italian dish is given a unique Latin American flair. —Crystal McDuffy, Fairfax, Virginia. The sausage gives this meal an added kick and incredible taste that makes it a favorite of many people already.

Seafood Alfredo

My visitor can’t believe that I made this dinner entirely by myself. There’s lots of seafood taste in this rich and creamy main dish, which also has a dash of garlic and lemon. Easy to prepare, with frozen peas and Alfredo sauce on hand, it will be requested over and over by your family members. Loveland resident Melissa Mosness contributed to this article.

Creamy Sausage-Mushroom Rigatoni

We had dinner near the Pantheon while in Rome. Although the fantastic restaurant is no longer in operation, its memory lives on in this delicious pasta dish with mushrooms and sausage. Brookfield, Wisconsin resident Barbara Roozrokh

SageBrowned Butter Ravioli

A similar meal in Italy inspired us to bring sage home and cultivate it in our garden to ensure that we could duplicate the brown butter sage sauce at home. Whenever we make this quick and easy supper, it always brings back pleasant memories of our vacation. — Rhonda Hamilton of Portsmouth, Ohio, is a writer.

Homemade Meatless Spaghetti Sauce

BLTs and this homemade spaghetti sauce are among the first things I cook when my tomatoes are ready to harvest. Lowell, Michigan resident Sondra Bergy says:

Red Clam Sauce

As soon as my tomatoes are ripe, I prepare BLTs and this homemade spaghetti sauce, which is a family favorite. Lowell, Michigan resident Sondra Bergy

Quick Fettuccine Alfredo

Using heavy whipping cream, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses, or a creamy, cheesy sauce that comes together in minutes, this easy fettuccine Alfredo dish will impress your guests. • Jo Gray, a resident of Park City, Montana Another simple alternative is to learn how to create basic spaghetti sauce, which is really simple to produce.

Pizza-Flavored Pasta Sauce

I’ve been cooking since I was six years old, and I’m constantly on the lookout for new dishes that my friends and family would enjoy. So when I got the opportunity to sample an incredible spaghetti sauce at a nearby restaurant, I knew I wanted to recreate it at home. —Angelina Falzarano, a resident of Midlothian, Texas

Light Linguine Carbonara

Having started cooking when I was six years old, I’m constantly on the lookout for new dishes that my friends and family would like.

I was inspired to produce my own spaghetti sauce after sampling an outstanding version at a neighborhood restaurant. —Angelina Falzarano from Midlothian, Texas

Super Spaghetti Sauce

We never know how many people will be coming to supper at my place. The result is a tasty, hearty, and quick spaghetti sauce that is a personal favorite of mine. The smoked kielbasa gives it a rich flavor, while the salsa gives it a bite. —Bella Anderson, of Chester, South Carolina.

Broccoli Shrimp Alfredo

This shrimp Alfredo with broccoli recipe was inspired by trying fettuccine Alfredo at a restaurant. Not only does my family like the creamy meal, but my husband really prefers it to the version served at the restaurant. • Rae Natoli lives in Kingston, New York.

Authentic Pasta Carbonara

During my culinary internship in Tuscany, I discovered that authentic Italian cooking is much more straightforward than you may imagine! This carbonara is quick, easy, and tasty, precisely the way the Italians want their carbonara to be prepared. • Lauren Brien-Wooster lives in South Lake Tahoe, California.

Meaty Spaghetti Sauce

My homemade spaghetti sauce received a lot of positive feedback, but it was quite time-consuming to prepare on the stovetop. This tasty slow-cooker recipe is a favorite of my family. Arlene Sommers of Redmond, Washington, contributed to this article.

ArtichokeLemon Pasta

A lemony artichoke pasta dish was served to us when we were sailing in the Mediterranean. I came up with my own version of it, which our visitors just adore. Try it with shrimp and kalamata olives for a unique flavor combination. Corpus Christi resident Peter Halferty contributed to this article.

Blushing Penne Pasta

This recipe was adapted from one that asked for vodka and heavy whipping cream, which I found to be too rich. My friends and family were perplexed as to how a sauce this rich, savory, and creamy could be so light and refreshing. Mrs. Margaret Wilson of Hemet in California sent in this message:

Pepper Ricotta Primavera

A creamy ricotta cheese base is topped with garlic, peppers, and herbs in this vegetarian skillet dish that can be prepared in about 20 minutes. Botwood, Newfoundland and Labrador resident Janet Boulger shares her thoughts on the subject.