Questions about the make, manufacture, preparation, and cooking of all types of pasta, including traditional durum wheat, whole wheat, and gluten-free.
3
votes
3answers
155 views
Why does my cookbook want me to drain my tomatoes for a pasta sauce?
I have an excellent recipe for pasta sauce, but I'm having trouble convincing people to try it because it contains a counter-intuitive and potentially wasteful instruction.
The gist of it is this:
...
7
votes
6answers
4k views
What are the advantages of homemade pasta over store-bought?
I am thinking about getting a pasta maker. Of course it takes more time to make your own pasta but it seems like it would be fun and nutritious. What are the real advantages to making your own pasta ...
7
votes
3answers
3k views
Why does my homemade pasta stick to itself whilst cooking?
I make a fair amount of homemade pasta (Mostly Tagliatelle or Linguine), and I tend to cook it fresh, rather than drying it and cooking from dry; however, it tends to clump and stick together in the ...
21
votes
9answers
13k views
What's the numbering system for spaghetti and does it matter?
When I lived in Italy some years ago I remember an Italian friend explaining the numbering system for spaghetti (perhaps also other long pasta). How spaghetti was sold in Italy with a number ...
11
votes
3answers
5k views
Pouring cold water on pasta after cooking it
Some of my friends pour cold water on pasta after boiling it other don't. What do the professionals do? If they pour cold water on the pasta after the boil, what do they want to accomplish with doing ...
6
votes
4answers
751 views
Should I use whole eggs or only yolks in Spaghetti alla Carbonara?
I tried to cook spaghetti alla carbonara and searching out I found out that some recipes use whole eggs and some only the egg yolks. Which way gives the better result?
4
votes
8answers
417 views
How can I keep pasta shapes intact?
I frequently make wagon wheel (rotelle) pasta (Racconto brand and probably others) for my kids, but the shapes rarely stay intact. Pieces of the outer edges often break off of most pieces, and some ...
8
votes
8answers
646 views
How to make the best Genovese pesto? [closed]
What's your recipe and technique for the best Genovese Pesto?
I use basil, paremsan, garlic, pine nuts (very lightly toasted first), olive oil (extra virgin) and I like a little lemon juice too. I ...
77
votes
5answers
17k views
Why add salt to the water when cooking pasta?
What is the effect of adding salt to the water when cooking pasta?
8
votes
9answers
9k views
What's the best way to tell that pasta is done (when boiling)?
I've tried a number of different ways to tell when spaghetti, capellini and other pasta types are done, but I'm curious if there are more specific rules of thumb. With regular spaghetti, I've tried ...
3
votes
2answers
4k views
How do I clean a pasta maker?
I am experimenting with a home pasta maker, and after all the fun comes the cleaning up.
My worries come from tiny bits of dry dough I find when I clean the machine. There always seem to be more every ...
24
votes
7answers
7k views
Can I boil pasta in a pasta sauce?
Is it ok to boil pasta in pan with a pasta sauce?
Is there any reason to boil pasta separately (and then add the sauce)?
15
votes
8answers
8k views
Why add pasta water to pasta sauce?
I've noticed that many Italian chefs add to their pasta sauces some of the water they used to cook their pasta. What is the purpose of this?
3
votes
3answers
249 views
What happens to boiled pasta if you use too little water?
There are almost always guidelines on pasta packages for the amount of water you should use when boiling. Sometimes I'd like to use a pot that's on the smaller side, and that got me wondering; what ...
3
votes
2answers
366 views
Semolina substitute
I live in Okinawa, Japan, and I've had a hard time finding semolina flour. I enjoy making home made pasta, and was wondering if there was a good substitute for semolina that would help give my pasta ...
6
votes
1answer
188 views
What are techniques to make homemade pasta without a pasta machine?
I would like to try making homemade pasta, but my significant other won't let me buy a pasta machine. It's understandable, they are expensive. What are good techniques to make homemade pasta without a ...
15
votes
6answers
4k views
(How) can I prevent pasta water from boiling over with the lid closed?
I always cook pasta with the lid of the pot open, because otherwise foam starts to build up and eventually boils over, maikng a huge mess. I would prefer to keep the lid on for energy saving purposes. ...
1
vote
2answers
234 views
Adding Meat to Pasta Caprese
I absolutely love pasta caprese. I have a great recipe for it that provides perfectly creamy mozarella and tasty tomatoes and uses up the leaves on my basil plant. It's a great dish.
I also don't ...
5
votes
3answers
374 views
How to prevent Orecchiette from sticking to each other while cooking? How to separate in water?
This shape of pasta easily nests inside each other. A lot of times if you just pour it directly from the bag/box into boiling water, you will get stacks of them together.
Once they are cooking this ...
2
votes
4answers
291 views
Best moment to put salt in spaghetti?
Different friends have conflicting theories about the best moment to pour salt into spaghettis:
Before putting the spaghettis, so that the salt infiltrates inside the spaghetti.
Just a bit before ...
41
votes
25answers
40k views
In a tomato sauce recipe, how can I cut the acidity?
It seems that every time I make a tomato sauce for pasta, the sauce is a little bit too acid for my taste. I've tried using sugar or sodium bicarbonate, but I'm not satisfied with the results.
3
votes
2answers
113 views
What is size 2 pasta?
I have a recipe requesting pasta #2 as an ingredient. What is pasta #2? I searched in several places but found nothing useful.
6
votes
6answers
2k views
How much water to put in my pasta pot?
My pasta pot/steamer did not come with directions telling me how full to make it. It seems to boil over or not have enough water to cover the pasta. It is a large pot with the pasta strainer ...
1
vote
2answers
278 views
macaroni salad, potato salad, tuna salad excess moisture
When I make potato salad, macaroni salad, tuna salad, and sometimes ham salad, it seems like there's always a puddle of excess liquid at the bottom of the storage container the next day.
Does anyone ...
3
votes
4answers
3k views
Adding pasta to soup
Is there any way to add pasta to soup without the pasta doubling in size and getting mushy in the fridge later.I've even tried putting uncooked pasta in with the same result.
2
votes
4answers
2k views
How can I repair a pasta maker that was washed with water and has started to rust?
My girlfriend has a pasta maker, pictured.
Alas, it was accidentally cleaned with water, which is explictly forbidden (!!!) by the directions, which state:
After using, clean with dry cloth or ...
1
vote
1answer
83 views
What dishes are paired with agnolini in Mantuan cuisine?
I am preparing agnolini alla mantovana and I would like to pair the dish with a second course and side in classic Mantuan style.
source
Mantuan cuisine is famous for its "set meals".
What are the ...
18
votes
9answers
6k views
How should one go about reheating pasta?
Ok, so, I know the answer, "You shouldn't, because it's easy to make it fresh."
But on occasion, I end up making too much pasta, not having enough sauce, etc. and the pasta gets stowed in a ...
14
votes
8answers
24k views
How long should I cook pasta sauce?
I recently made pasta sauce, and every couple of minutes decided to add something more... More tomatoes, more pepper, more garlic...
After that I let it sit on a small flame for a bit more.
As a ...
5
votes
1answer
222 views
Why do the inserts in pasta pots not go all the way to the bottom?
I love using a pasta pot/steamer where there is an inner "colander" pot so that you can pull all the pasta out easily.
BUT... in all of the ones I've seen, the inner colander doesn't go all the way ...
6
votes
2answers
2k views
What is 00 flour and when should I use?
I've made pasta before using 00 flour. I was about to use the same thing to make gnocci but I've noticed that none of the gnocci recipes mention the "00". Does it make a difference? Is one better then ...
7
votes
4answers
58k views
How long does cooked pasta last in the fridge?
I sometimes cook more pasta than I intend to eat or use at once and store the rest in a container in the fridge (just plain, cooked pasta). How long would it store safely for?
2
votes
2answers
1k views
What kind of herbs are common in Italian dishes?
Yesterday I tried to follow a pasta recipe that called for tarragon. Since I didn't have this herb, I sustituted basil.
For convenience, I may try to plant those commonly needed herbs myself so I ...
8
votes
5answers
788 views
What are some good reasons for why people make homemade pasta?
What are some good reasons for people to make their own pasta? Does it make it cheaper? Does it taste any better?
10
votes
1answer
1k views
What does al dente really mean?
Initially I was told that al dente meant that the pasta was cooked but still firm, definitely not soggy or overcooked. Later, someone told me that it meant not quite cooked all the way through. ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
Does pasta dough really need to rest?
I mixed equal parts of semolina and bread flour. Then I kneaded it for about 2 minutes. I flattened it out as well as I could, then passed it through my pasta machine on the widest setting. I did this ...
0
votes
3answers
4k views
Can I store raw gnocchi dough in the fridge?
I made gnocchi dough earlier this evening. It was my first time, so I took a bit of dough and made myself some dinner with it. It was great.
But I still have some dough left over. Since it's quite ...
7
votes
1answer
155 views
What should I look for when buying a pasta roller?
I'm looking to buy a pasta roller but I have no experience with them at all.
What things should I look for to make sure I get a good one?
Can they be made of different materials?
Are there ...
6
votes
2answers
933 views
Is cheese or pasta a good source of protein?
I am eating "Wheels & Cheese":
As you can see, there's literally nothing but cheese and pasta here. The nutrition facts on the back says that there's 11g of protein in it. I've never heard of ...
49
votes
23answers
49k views
How can I keep pasta from sticking to itself?
Whenever I boil pasta (specifically spaghetti), it always sticks to itself before I'm ready to use it. What can I do to avoid this without it becoming mushy (which happens if I keep it in the water)?
...
7
votes
3answers
12k views
Cooking pasta in the microwave
I have a microwave "pot" that I use for steaming vegetables. The instructions say it can also be used for cooking pasta, which seems sacrilege to me.
Does anybody know if the result would be a good al ...
3
votes
2answers
487 views
Tomato pasta sauce splits. Why?
I use fresh tomato puree to make my pasta sauce, other things in my sauce are olive oil, garlic, some herbs and salt, i don't let it boil but during the simmering & thickening process the sauce ...
10
votes
3answers
2k views
Can I preserve fresh potato gnocchi by drying it?
I have a lot of potatoes to use, and I am making a large batch of Gnocchi. I plan to freeze much of it, but I was wondering if it's also possible to dry the fresh Gnocchi and store in a sealed ...
10
votes
4answers
3k views
How do I stop homemade Ravioli from going soggy? (storage issue)
Last week I made some Pumpkin Ravioli. The filling was a bit moist, but nothing excessive.
The problem is, that obviously, I don't want to be stuffing ravioli immediately before they go into the ...
5
votes
6answers
938 views
What is the best method/product for cleaning pasta's starch residue from colander and cooking pot?
After cooking pasta, I typically drain it in a colander. I have found the starch residue in both the cooking pot and particularly the colander is difficult to clean without hand scrubbing it. I am ...
3
votes
2answers
4k views
Could rice or pasta be cooked without hot water?
I moved in a brand new house. I have no stove, microwaves or hot water for a week or two.
I'm vegetarian and I've already prepared fresh veggies wrap, salad, hummus, sandwichs, .. but I'm wondering ...
12
votes
5answers
3k views
How to substitute eggs in homemade pasta?
I am looking to make pasta at home, but all the classical pasta dough recipes I know of are egg-based. While I have no problem with eating meat and animal products from time to time, I would like to ...
3
votes
1answer
200 views
Does salt-seasoned pasta and starchy water in my sauce have to yield a salty sauce?
When cooking pasta, there are a couple of techniques that I like to follow--individually they yield great results, but when combined they interfere with one another to produce an inferior product.
...
3
votes
2answers
1k views
Mixing mozzarella without clumping
Whenever I use mozarella in a pasta dish, and attempt to mix it in like you would cheddar or anything else, I end up with one giant clump of mozzarella.
Ex) I cook some pasta, and add the cheese/milk ...
0
votes
1answer
169 views
Is it okay to prepare “Cannelloni with Spinach” recipe and put it in fridge BEFORE baking?
I'm working on this "Cannelloni with Spinach & Ricotta": http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-recipes/awesome-spinach-ricotta-cannelloni
The last step is bake it for 20-25 minutes. Is it okay ...
