How to Cook Perfect Pasta (& how to reheat it!)
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How to Cook Perfect Pasta and how to reheat the leftovers…
Pasta is a delicious, simple dinner that the whole family loves but we have all had pasta night mistakes including sticky pasta, dry pasta or hard pasta. Here are some tips to prevent that from ever happening again!.
- Use a large pot so the pasta isn’t crowded.
- Don’t ever boil pasta in a covered pot. It is dangerous and can cause a huge mess as it causes boil ups.
- To avoid your pot boiling over, add a Pot Minder to the water. (I have one of these, works like a charm and can be used over and over for years!)
- Salt your water for a tastier pasta (approx. 1T per quart) but do not add oil to the water. While oil will keep the pasta from sticking, it will also keep the sauce from adhering to the noodles.
- Be sure the water is boiling before adding the pasta, if the water isn’t boiling, the result is sticky, overcooked pasta. Stirring the pasta a couple of times within the first minute will also keep it from sticking.
- Test the pasta by tasting one shortly before you think it should be done. The texture should be slightly al dente.
- Never ever rinse your pasta after it’s cooked! This is a big one! Many people rinse their pasta to avoid it being sticky. The problem is that is what makes the sauce stick! If you rinse them, the sauce will just slide off!
- Once drained, toss your pasta with sauce ASAP. The noodles will start to stick to one another if they aren’t sauced as quickly as possible… tossing them with the sauce makes the sauce stick instead of the noodles sticking together!
Now that you know how to make the perfect pasta, here are a few tips on how to reheat that pasta so that it is just as good for days to come.
If you have leftover pasta that hasn’t been sauced yet simply put it in a metal strainer and dip it in a pot of boiling water for about 30 seconds or until it is warmed. The pasta will need to be no more than three days old, however, that hasn’t been tossed with sauce (up to 3 days after cooking).
Put leftover sauced pasta into a shallow dish, cover it with foil, and bake at 350° F until heated through. This will take about 20 minutes. This also should be done within 3 days of its first preparation.
