Kitchen Basics: Pasta 101
Anna Marie of the Unilever Kitchens offers tips on how to cook the perfect pasta
I love pasta! Thin strands. Corkscrew noodles. Store-bought. Homemade. Pasta dishes are the perfect food for busy weeknights. Easy to make, they’re versatile enough to please even the pickiest family member — and budget–friendly too. Here is my advice about four frequently asked questions related to pasta.
- How can I tell which size pot I’ll need? The bigger, the better. Pasta needs to cook in lots of water so that it doesn’t get starchy. It also grows as it cooks, generally doubling in size.
- How do I avoid gummy pasta? Be sure to use plenty of water — otherwise you’ll wind up with starchy, gummy strands. When making fresh pasta, I dry it well and use cornmeal to keep it from sticking together.
- Should I salt the pasta water? Yes. I always recommend adding salt because it will bring out the flavor of the pasta, which in turn, will bring out the flavor of the sauce. (You can use the most flavorful pasta sauce in the world, but serve it over pasta that has not been cooked in salted water and your dish may still end up tasting bland or flat.)
- Is there a rule for pairing pastas with sauces? For curvy pastas, or ones with lines or ridges, use a thicker sauce. For flat ones, a thin sauce is best.
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