Coming in numerous shapes and sizes, dried pasta is one of the world’s great convenience foods.
Pasta Preparation
Start with a large, deep pot full of boiling water--about 6 quarts per pound of pasta. Salt the water generously--if you don't salt it well, the pasta will never taste properly seasoned. Add pasta slowly, without breaking it, and stir carefully to separate. Cook until the pasta is tender and just slightly firm to the bite--a toothsome “al dente.”
Whys and What Fors
Salt the boiling water to infuse flavor and help the sauce stick to the pasta. Use lots of water so the pasta can expand, separate and cook evenly. Don’t add oil to the water or rinse the pasta when it’s done because these activities prevent sauce from adhering to pasta.
The Pasta Is Prelude
Made from a paste (hence, “pasta”) of wheat flour and water, dried pastas were first developed in China and have been with us for millennia. In earlier eras, pasta making was invaluable because it provided a relatively indestructible food source capable of lengthy storage.
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