68
votes
What are the tiny white self-moving objects on pasta?
Assuming these are open packets that have been open for a while - you probably have a mite infestation, probably the flour mite (Acarus siro), or a closely related mite. These are tiny almost-...
- 16.9k
63
votes
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Test if two foods are the same
The best approach is to use a triangle test. This would be the standard used in sensory sciences. It is easy, and it will be a fun thing to do with friends. Basically, each friend (panelist) is ...
- 77.9k
61
votes
If you add spices to boiling pasta, will it absorb spices/flavours?
Poorly. Pasta doesn't absorb all that much flavor from spices in the water, other than maybe salt (and even then you must add excessive amounts of salt to make the resulting pasta evidently salty.) ...
- 3,023
48
votes
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I never succeed in thickening sauces with pasta water. What am I doing wrong?
You seem to have the wrong expectations. No, it will never be as thickening as a cornstarch slurry. If that's the level of thickening you expect, you are really better off using the slurry.
Don't ...
- 141k
40
votes
What's a good substitute for basil in pesto sauce?
If we're talking about the big classic pesto alla genovese, then unfortunately...
There is no substitute.
Basil is the majority ingredient in pesto. None of the other suggestions here will taste even ...
- 952
38
votes
Should pasta be started in cold or boiling water?
As stated in another answer, Italian tradition is that all pasta is cooked in boiling water. A reasonable explanation for this usage is that it's easier to get the time right this way.
Pasta is very ...
- 1,067
33
votes
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Should pasta be started in cold or boiling water?
For dried pasta it doesn’t really matter if you start with cold or hot water, as most of the time pasta spends in water is for hydration. And once the hydrated starches reach a certain temperature ...
- 4,286
32
votes
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What's a good substitute for basil in pesto sauce?
The good news is, you can make pesto almost out of any green using the same process and proportions as with basil -- it just changes the flavor profile. I make pesto-style sauces out of chives, ...
- 5,976
31
votes
If you add spices to boiling pasta, will it absorb spices/flavours?
One important fact to note here is that many spices are oils or oil-soluble. Pepper, for example, will dissolve effectively in oil, and thus the flavor of pepper can be imparted into other things ...
- 5,683
31
votes
Cooking pasta in a water boiler
Advantages:
You can make pasta in your water boiler.
Disadvantages:
Hard to clean.
Waste of energy, a water boiler is on or off, it will
expend full energy keeping the water boiling.
Incredibly ...
- 1,004
29
votes
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Can I slow cook noodles?
If by “noodles“ you mean pasta that comes in the dry form with or without eggs, then yes, you can make that in the slow cooker.
There is one caveat though: other than your meat, which won’t be ...
- 61.4k
29
votes
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Does traditional Pesto Genovese contain garlic?
According to the CONSORZIO DEL PESTO GENOVESE, which defines what is considered official Pesto Genovese, it does contain garlic. They suggest that traditionally it contained less garlic than the ...
- 5,683
27
votes
Accepted
Does squid ink pasta bleed?
No, as far as I know pasta made with squid ink, often called nero di seppia, should be stable, and the ink doesn't normally bleed.
From my experience after boiling black pasta, even the fresh kind, ...
- 2,228
26
votes
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Cold / cooked pasta safe to eat?
According to Still Tasty, a site that utilizes FDA, CDC and USDA data, cooked pasta should be fine for 3-5 days in the refrigerator.
Use a shallow container or a Ziplock bag to store the pasta, and ...
- 58.7k
23
votes
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Double cooked pasta
It's par-cooking the pasta, cooling it down (typically an ice water bath), so that when a customer orders, they can significantly reduce the time needed to get the dish prepared for them.
Yes
Boiling ...
- 82.1k
23
votes
How do I stop all the sauce from being absorbed and the pasta going soggy?
The secrets to a good pasta bake are:
Pick the right pasta: unless you are making Lasagna, tube shaped pasta is the best choice because it holds sauce, and tends to be thicker. Thicker pasta is ...
- 77.9k
22
votes
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Is the foam on pasta water significantly more starchy than the rest of the water?
Yes, that foam is mostly starch. However, for traditional pasta sauces you don't want only that foam for your sauce. You're emulsifying the sauce with starch and water, so you want at least some of ...
- 65.6k
21
votes
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Good salt:water ratio when boiling pasta
More is not necessarily better, but no salt leads to a bland final dish. Some folks are fond of saying "as salty as the sea." This sounds romantic, but probably has no basis. Pasta water, ...
- 77.9k
19
votes
How to prevent the lasagne filling from sliding out?
Time...lasagna needs to allowed to rest for a while before serving. At least an hour. If you try to serve it straight out of the oven it will slide all over on you. Time will allow the cheeses and ...
- 18.3k
19
votes
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How long can I hold spätzle in ice water or drained?
I would not keep them in water; they will absorb water and get soggy.
I'd just drain them and toss them with a little bit of oil, just enough so that they will not stick together and put them in the ...
- 20.5k
19
votes
What is the benefit of a pasta pot with an inset?
I find these gadgets inconvenient, so, I would say no real advantage. I cook pasta in a large stock pot, and remove with a spider to the pan with the condiments. I can even cook several batches in a ...
- 77.9k
19
votes
Can you replace red wine with apera/sherry in a ragout sauce for lasagne?
Because the other answers feel awfully prescriptivist to me, and I hate prescriptivist cooking, let me give a definitive
Yes.
You can absolutely substitute a sherry (fortified wine) for red wine in ...
- 2,131
18
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What is the benefit of a pasta pot with an inset?
The pot at the top with the holes in the lid allows you to drain the pasta without a colander or second container, so you have one less thing to clean. In my experience it's sometimes hard to get the ...
- 978
18
votes
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Processed cheese in pesto
Processed cheese isn't a good replacement for parmesan, it's generally too soft from added oils, and it doesn't have the right flavor. Instead, add more pine nuts, and salt to taste, leaving the ...
- 77.9k
17
votes
I never succeed in thickening sauces with pasta water. What am I doing wrong?
Think of your pasta water as a tool for emulsification, rather than "thickening." Adding pasta water to your condiment pan has the benefit of helping the condiment form an emulsified sauce that ...
- 77.9k
16
votes
Can you make pasta dough in a breadmaker?
No. Pasta dough is much firmer than bread dough and could possibly break the machine or the blade.
- 2,192
16
votes
Pasta Bar for 250 people
You would end up going through a lot of gallon bags, so I wouldn’t recommend that. If you were going to take that approach, I would suggest instead using deep hotel pans, undercook the pasta slightly,...
- 82.1k
15
votes
How to make Kraft Mac and Cheese Like Ihop
Based on the nutritional information provided by Kraft and iHop, a good place to start would be more salt and more butter. A standard Kraft recipe is 360 Calories with 12 grams of fat and 710 mg of ...
- 1,077
15
votes
Miracle whip vs. Mayonnaise for Pasta or Potato salad
I've used miracle whip in many pasta and potato salads and I've never had a problem with water in it, maybe there's something other than the miracle whip at play.
Look at your other ingredients and ...
- 77.9k
15
votes
Accepted
What aspects define how present the garlic taste in an aglio e olio pasta becomes?
You may simply need more garlic, but if you're after punchy garlic, cooking it less might be better.
Combining these two ideas, you might want to fry the amount of garlic called for in the recipe (...
- 45.8k
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