|
the
clueless cook's handbook: how do i know when the pasta's done cooking? 
|
how do i know when the
pasta's
done cooking? Here’s the most important thing I can tell you about cooking pasta: it’s not about an exact cooking time. That 9-11 minutes or whatever magic number that your pasta box specifies – that’s just a guideline, and what it means is that at around 8 minutes into the cooking process, you should start tasting the pasta. Approximate cooking times Pasta is done cooking when it’s cooked through but still has a good chewy bite. This is basically what it means to cook pasta al dente. If you haven’t a clue what a "good chewy bite" means, take a bite of a piece of pasta. If you can still see a big, hard, opaque white center, your pasta needs to cook longer. If all you see is a tiny little dot of white, your pasta is ready (if you like your pasta soft, just cook it a minute or so longer, until the white dot has disappeared)! Remove it from heat immediately and drain it in a colander. Don’t rinse your cooked pasta unless you’re planning to use it cold, like in a salad, because you’ll rinse away the outer coating of starch that helps bind sauce to pasta. more pasta basics ... brand | fresh vs. dried | shapes + sauces | estimating quantity | how to cook pasta | cooking times |
|
|
|
