Al Dente! Pasta Perfection!
From the Beginning…
It’s hard to pin down the origins of this saucy staple.
Some believe it originated with the Etruscans in 400Bc, while others believe that we have the Chinese or Arabs to thank. Today, pasta is enjoyed worldwide. There are more shapes,sizes,colours and flavours than you can possibly imagine (350 known dried shapes in Italy alone), the choices are almost limitless!!!
Italian pasta dough is made with a hard wheat flour called Durum. Other countries use other staple foods to prepare the dough including all purpose flour, spelt, potatoes, quino, rice, soybeans buckwheat, chick peas and yams.
Pasta Perks
Which Shape Pasta is Perfect for Sauce?
Shaped pasta (often with ridges or grooves on the outside) is designed to grab and hold onto sauce. Dried pasta tends to be a little chewier and holds up better to heartier preparations such as ragus and cream sauces whereas fresh pasta holds up better with simple sauces and additions. Make sure to avoid heavy sauces and toppings with finer strands of pasta as they will most likely break.
Cooking Pasta Pasta needs to be cooked in a large enough pan that allows for the pasta to expand.
Make sure to add a generous amount of salt to the water as pasta dough, like any starch, needs salt during cooking to provided needed flavour.
Water must be boiling before pasta is added. Stir pasta immediately to prevent it from sticking to the bottom or to the other pieces of pasta.
Pasta cooking times depend on the shape and size of the pasta being cooked. Fresh pasta take less time to cook (on average about 5 min), while dried pasta takes about twice this time. Pasta that is cooked before baking (for example lasagna and manicotti), or that will be used cold (perhaps in a pasta salad) should be cooled as quickly as possible either under cold running water or in an ice bath in order to avoid over cooking. Don’t try this with pasta that is being served immediately because you don’t want to wash away the starch that will help the sauce stick to the pasta.
Al Dente - To the Tooth!
"Al dente" is an Italian term meaning 'to the tooth'. Pasta should never be overcooked or mushy- instead it should be cooked through while still offering a bit of resistance. When properly cooked, pasta should be immediately removed from the pot and tossed in sauce or placed in warm bowls and sauced and garnished immediately. Keep a small amount of cooking water aside to loosen up sauces if they become too thick before you serve them. Once plated, pasta should be eaten right away while it is fresh and hot.
It’s hard to pin down the origins of this saucy staple.
Some believe it originated with the Etruscans in 400Bc, while others believe that we have the Chinese or Arabs to thank. Today, pasta is enjoyed worldwide. There are more shapes,sizes,colours and flavours than you can possibly imagine (350 known dried shapes in Italy alone), the choices are almost limitless!!!
Italian pasta dough is made with a hard wheat flour called Durum. Other countries use other staple foods to prepare the dough including all purpose flour, spelt, potatoes, quino, rice, soybeans buckwheat, chick peas and yams.
Pasta Perks
- Pasta is easy to make, inexpensive to buy, and when dried, stores for long periods of time without need of refridgeration.
- It can be eaten as an appetizer, an entree, in soups, and in salads.
- It can be layered, stuffed, baked, boiled, fried, and sauteed.
- Pasta dough can be flavored with anything-spinach, squid ink and tomato paste to name just a few or it can be made plain and then stuffed with different ingredients.
- Pasta can be eaten plain or can be flavoured further with the addition of a sauce, broth, or olive oil and garlic.
Which Shape Pasta is Perfect for Sauce?
Shaped pasta (often with ridges or grooves on the outside) is designed to grab and hold onto sauce. Dried pasta tends to be a little chewier and holds up better to heartier preparations such as ragus and cream sauces whereas fresh pasta holds up better with simple sauces and additions. Make sure to avoid heavy sauces and toppings with finer strands of pasta as they will most likely break.
Cooking Pasta Pasta needs to be cooked in a large enough pan that allows for the pasta to expand.
Make sure to add a generous amount of salt to the water as pasta dough, like any starch, needs salt during cooking to provided needed flavour.
Water must be boiling before pasta is added. Stir pasta immediately to prevent it from sticking to the bottom or to the other pieces of pasta.
Pasta cooking times depend on the shape and size of the pasta being cooked. Fresh pasta take less time to cook (on average about 5 min), while dried pasta takes about twice this time. Pasta that is cooked before baking (for example lasagna and manicotti), or that will be used cold (perhaps in a pasta salad) should be cooled as quickly as possible either under cold running water or in an ice bath in order to avoid over cooking. Don’t try this with pasta that is being served immediately because you don’t want to wash away the starch that will help the sauce stick to the pasta.
Al Dente - To the Tooth!
"Al dente" is an Italian term meaning 'to the tooth'. Pasta should never be overcooked or mushy- instead it should be cooked through while still offering a bit of resistance. When properly cooked, pasta should be immediately removed from the pot and tossed in sauce or placed in warm bowls and sauced and garnished immediately. Keep a small amount of cooking water aside to loosen up sauces if they become too thick before you serve them. Once plated, pasta should be eaten right away while it is fresh and hot.
Basic Pasta Dough
The classic way to prepare the dough is to mix and knead it all by hand, directly on the table.
2 cups finely ground semolina flour
2 large eggs, whole
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Preparation
1. Mound the flour on a work surface and make a large well in the center.
2. Crack the eggs, yolk, salt, and oil into a small dish (discard any shell that falls in).
3. Pour egg mixture into the center of the well and beat with a fork until blended.
4. Continue to beat egg mixture, incorporating flour a little at a time by taking it from the inside wall of the well.
5. Try to keep the rest of the wall intact by supporting the outside of it with your other hand.
6. When the mixture becomes a thick paste, begin to mix in the flour with your hands.
7. Continue to knead enough of the flour into the dough to allow it to form a soft ball.
8. Brush the remaining flour on the work surface to the side and knead dough, flouring the surface of the dough as needed to keep dough from sticking. Knead until smooth and elastic. This should take about another 5 minutes.
Shape the dough into a tight ball and lightly dust the dough with a bit more flour, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature for about an hour before working with it.
The classic way to prepare the dough is to mix and knead it all by hand, directly on the table.
2 cups finely ground semolina flour
2 large eggs, whole
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Preparation
1. Mound the flour on a work surface and make a large well in the center.
2. Crack the eggs, yolk, salt, and oil into a small dish (discard any shell that falls in).
3. Pour egg mixture into the center of the well and beat with a fork until blended.
4. Continue to beat egg mixture, incorporating flour a little at a time by taking it from the inside wall of the well.
5. Try to keep the rest of the wall intact by supporting the outside of it with your other hand.
6. When the mixture becomes a thick paste, begin to mix in the flour with your hands.
7. Continue to knead enough of the flour into the dough to allow it to form a soft ball.
8. Brush the remaining flour on the work surface to the side and knead dough, flouring the surface of the dough as needed to keep dough from sticking. Knead until smooth and elastic. This should take about another 5 minutes.
Shape the dough into a tight ball and lightly dust the dough with a bit more flour, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature for about an hour before working with it.