SOPHIE'S WISDOM #3

             

PASTA

     I have heard the same little saying from three sources, both from people and in print, all from Italy. So I tried it and I can say it really makes a nice difference:

      “Always cook pasta in water as salty as the sea.”

     I will clarify though that I don’t go quite as far as the sea’s saltiness, but I do make my water rather salty, about one tbsp to one quart of water, or 4 tbsp to a gallon. In metric measure this is approximately 15 ml. to one liter, and is less than half the seas salinity.

     The salinity of sea water is approximately 35 ml to 1 liter, which is about 2.5 tbsp to a quart in the US.

     I’ve been cooking pasta this way for a good while, and it comes out perfect, with just the right amount, to me, of  little added flavor. You do occasionally have to be aware of this, with the saltiness of sauces or such that you are serving over pasta, especially butter or cheese sauces. But for the most part it adds just the right amount of yumm.

     I also do not add olive oil to pasta when cooking, (which I used to do), if you have a problem with sticking together pasta, the thing to do is stir your pasta, for about one minute, just after you add it to the already boiling water allowing the outside of each piece of pasta to independently start cooking as they swirl through the water .

     A few other things I’ve gleaned along the way, one is to always rinse your pasta or noodles in cold water immediately after you drain them. This STOPS the cooking process and keeps them cooked the way you wanted. As well it keeps the cooked pasta from sticking together.

     Another last thing, when I was young they always said your pasta is done when it will stick to the wall when a piece of it is thrown there. This actually depends on how you like your pasta. A lot of folks like their pasta softer than al dente, and so this is just about right. However it’s not necessary to throw a piece against the wall. Toss a piece on your cutting board and see if it sticks when you turn your board vertical. Now Al Dente, is the doneness that is usually recommended. This means slightly chewy. And the best way to check for this, indeed really any doneness to your own preference, is just to bite into a piece and see if its how you like it. I prefer my pasta a bit between the two things I just described. If I throw it on a cutting board and turn it vertical it will hesitate a second then fall off or trail down. I’ve also noticed over the years, when my pasta is how I like it, my water was just starting to foam a bit, with clusters of bubbles in the boiling water.

Blessings mes amis