Restaurants devote their menus to this favorite food: pasta. Why, because we love it, it's healthy, does not cost much, and dishes can be made in minutes. Pasta is manufactured with flour and water, and some varieties contain oil and eggs. Higher quality pasta often contains Durham Wheat which is most commonly found in dried pastas. It is recommended that you store dried pasta in an airtight container for up to six months and fresh pasta, refrigerated for up to one month. Fresh pastas pair well with rich sauces like Carbonara because it tends to absorb the sauce. Dried pastas are a good fit for heavier sauces that may contain meat or other ingredients like a red sauce with meatballs.
If you are trying to decide how much pasta to prepare for each person, use this general rule: 4 - 5 ounces of dried pasta per person, and add more if people have heartier appetites. So, let's say you are serving dinner for six people. That means you will want to cook 24 - 30 ounces of pasta - just under 2 pounds total.
Sometimes cooks add a tablespoon of salt to the water before they add the pasta. Others like to add a tablespoon of oil. I tend to add both. I like to use Olive oil for my oil. Don't overcook your pasta! When fully cooked your pasta should still be firm. This may take anywhere from 7 to 15 minutes depending on how much pasta you cook at a time. Be sure to drain your pasta fully. If you didn't add any oil in the cooking water, then you can add a bit now so the pasta does not stick together. Then you can place it on a platter and cover it with sauce or you can pour the sauce over the pasta in the pan, mid thoroughly and then place on a platter or just serve it up on plates.
The fun thing about pasta is that there are so many interesting shapes you can buy it in. Almost everyone is familiar with Spaghetti and Linguine, but there are also bow tie, or Penne or Rigatoni just for starts. Change them up to keep your dinners interesting!
You can create a multitude of pasta sauces starting with a basic Marinara and adding meat, pepperoni, mushrooms, or olives. Add cup of vodka and you have a vodka sauce. Cream can be added for creamy tomato sauce. Use Pesto sauce for a pasta salad and add peas, grape tomatoes, and shaved Parmesan. Opt for rich and creamy sauces like Alfredo and add shrimp, scallops or chicken. A simple butter, garlic, parsley, lemon and caper sauce will do nicely with Capellini, and it's ready in 15 minutes.
No matter how you decide to pair your pasta, sauce and extra ingredients you almost can't loose. No one will walk away hungry. Don't forget you eat with your eyes first, so garnish your pasta with freshly grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese, chopped parsley or something else that will taste and look fantastic.
If you are trying to decide how much pasta to prepare for each person, use this general rule: 4 - 5 ounces of dried pasta per person, and add more if people have heartier appetites. So, let's say you are serving dinner for six people. That means you will want to cook 24 - 30 ounces of pasta - just under 2 pounds total.
Sometimes cooks add a tablespoon of salt to the water before they add the pasta. Others like to add a tablespoon of oil. I tend to add both. I like to use Olive oil for my oil. Don't overcook your pasta! When fully cooked your pasta should still be firm. This may take anywhere from 7 to 15 minutes depending on how much pasta you cook at a time. Be sure to drain your pasta fully. If you didn't add any oil in the cooking water, then you can add a bit now so the pasta does not stick together. Then you can place it on a platter and cover it with sauce or you can pour the sauce over the pasta in the pan, mid thoroughly and then place on a platter or just serve it up on plates.
The fun thing about pasta is that there are so many interesting shapes you can buy it in. Almost everyone is familiar with Spaghetti and Linguine, but there are also bow tie, or Penne or Rigatoni just for starts. Change them up to keep your dinners interesting!
You can create a multitude of pasta sauces starting with a basic Marinara and adding meat, pepperoni, mushrooms, or olives. Add cup of vodka and you have a vodka sauce. Cream can be added for creamy tomato sauce. Use Pesto sauce for a pasta salad and add peas, grape tomatoes, and shaved Parmesan. Opt for rich and creamy sauces like Alfredo and add shrimp, scallops or chicken. A simple butter, garlic, parsley, lemon and caper sauce will do nicely with Capellini, and it's ready in 15 minutes.
No matter how you decide to pair your pasta, sauce and extra ingredients you almost can't loose. No one will walk away hungry. Don't forget you eat with your eyes first, so garnish your pasta with freshly grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese, chopped parsley or something else that will taste and look fantastic.
About the Author:
Want to find out more about healthy home cooking recipes, then visit Lisa Andrews site, www.homecookingconnection.com on how to make fun and delicious dips and appetizers like artichoke dip or spinach dip.
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