How to cook pasta correctly. How to cook pasta Boiled pasta

Surely every housewife knows how to cook pasta. But few cooks think that this simplest process also has its secrets. To ensure that pasta always turns out tasty and does not stick together, it is worth using some tricks.

The main question in the process of preparing the most popular side dish: how long to cook pasta? The exact time depends on which cooking method is chosen, as well as on the type and quality of the product. It is important to choose the right utensils for cooking pasta.

In a saucepan

Most often, pasta is cooked in a saucepan. It is best to use a thick-bottomed container for this process. First, the pan is filled with filtered water. Ideal proportions: liter of water per 100 g of product. If there is not enough liquid in the container, the dish will turn out too sticky. Typically, for a family of three people, take 300 g of pasta and 3 liters of clean water.

The product is lowered into actively boiling water. You need to salt it to taste in advance. The heating of the stove should be maximum. Immediately after immersing the pasta in the liquid, cover the pan tightly with a lid. After boiling again, remove the lid and reduce the heat.

Immediately after adding the pasta to the water, stir it well to prevent sticking. Next, the side dish is prepared for 10-12 minutes.

In a slow cooker

Ingredients: 1 cup pasta, 380 ml filtered water, salt, seasonings to taste, a piece of butter.

First of all, the prepared liquid is poured into the bowl of the “smart pan”. Salt is immediately poured into the water and the selected seasonings are added.
The “Pasta” mode is set in the menu. After the signal for the liquid to boil, pasta is placed in it. Next, the dish cooks for 8 minutes. If in the end it turns out to be not ready, you can extend the process for the same amount of time.

The resulting side dish is placed in a colander and flavored with butter.

In the microwave

Ingredients: 220 g pasta, 2 times more filtered water, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of refined oil, table salt to taste.

To prepare pasta in this way, you need to choose a deep dish suitable for the microwave oven.
First, the container is sent into the device at maximum power for 12-15 minutes until the liquid boils.
You can salt the bubbling water and pour oil into it. Pasta is immersed in the mixture. The oil will prevent them from sticking together.
The products are mixed well and the container is returned to the oven for 20 minutes at medium power.

All that remains is to drain the pasta in a colander and you can take a sample.

In a steamer

Ingredients: 350-370 g pasta, 1 tbsp. a spoon of refined oil, salt, seasonings, water.

First, water is poured into the steamer container intended for rice. There should be enough liquid so that its level is approximately 1.5 cm higher than the pasta layer.
Salt, seasonings and oil are immediately added to the water.
The pasta is immersed in the liquid, after which the device is closed and turned on.

The dish takes 20-25 minutes to prepare. All that remains is to rinse the pasta with warm water.

Al dente pasta - how long to cook?

Slightly undercooked al dente pasta is used in compound dishes. For example, when spaghetti ends up being combined with sauces or separately cooked meat. If you add ready-made pasta to a boiling sauce, it will end up boiling quickly. The al dente state allows for the perfect preparation of a compound pasta dish. An additional couple of minutes of simmering will bring them to full readiness.

The selected pasta is immersed in actively boiling salted water. Next you need to time 3-4 minutes. After this, the semi-finished product is left to stand in water for a couple of minutes, placed in a colander and rinsed with water.

Secrets of cooking different types of pasta

The hardest part is figuring out how to cook pasta nests. This base allows you to prepare a delicious dish with vegetable and meat fillings.

The nests are carefully lowered into boiling water and cooked like regular pasta until tender. The main thing is not to stir them and carefully remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon. You can remove the undercooked nests from the container, cover them with filling and send them to finish baking in the oven.

Spider web vermicelli is cooked very quickly and easily. If it becomes part of the soup, then you can add it to the pan with the first dish 5 minutes before it is ready. Separately, the product is boiled for the same amount of time in salted water with a small amount vegetable oil.

To cook spaghetti deliciously, you can dip it in either boiling water or milk. You need to check the readiness of the dish every 3 minutes. As soon as the product becomes soft but elastic, you can remove the pan from the heat.

If large spirals or shells are selected, they will need to be cooked a little longer. Until fully cooked, such products need to be kept in boiling water for 12-14 minutes.

Do I need to rinse pasta after cooking, and with what water?

Experienced chefs from Italy consider the habit of Russian housewives to wash pasta a big mistake cold water. During the process, the product cools down and loses its taste, and, in addition, the starch necessary for excellent absorption of sauces is washed off.

Each housewife will have to decide whether to rinse cooked pasta on her own. Be sure to rinse the product with water if the pasta is intended for making salad.

What should I add to prevent them from sticking together?

To prevent pasta from sticking together during cooking, you need to stir it frequently with a wide spoon or spatula. Subsequent rinsing with water also prevents sticking.

But these precautions are not enough. To definitely protect the dish from sticking, you just need to add vegetable oil to the water during cooking. 1-2 teaspoons is enough.

My first attempt at cooking pasta ended in failure. I poured a large pack of pasta into cold water, put the pan on the fire and waited... As a result, I ended up with a viscous pasta mass that stuck together in one lump, and besides, this mass burned tightly to the bottom of the pan. I had to throw everything away.

Now I know how to boil them and how to prevent them from sticking together. Pour pasta only into boiling salted water, and there should be a lot of water. Even if you decide to boil only 100 grams of pasta, take at least a liter of water.

The Italians, experts in cooking pasta, advise adding a little olive oil to the boiling water before adding the pasta. Oil is added to prevent noodles, spaghetti and other pasta from sticking together.

At the end of cooking, the contents of the pan are filtered through a colander, oil, sauce, etc. are added to the boiled pasta.

Cooking steps:

Ingredients:

Water 3 l, pasta 400 g, butter 30 g, salt 1/2 tbsp. spoons.

Despite the completely different technology for creating flour products than now, pasta has always been loved. They cook quickly and are a great side dish. Often they boiled over, taking on huge sizes, or stuck together into a single lump. For the most part, this was due to the fact that such products were made from premium flour; now they are made from durum wheat.

Pasta, pasta, spaghetti are perhaps one of the favorite dishes of many people. They are prepared from dried wheat dough in water. Varying in appearance (shells, feathers, spirals, spaghetti, etc.), with the correct serving of the right seasonings, each pasta turns into a special dish.

Cooking time for pasta by type

Traditionally, the cooking procedure looks like this. Pasta is poured into boiling salted water. Boil them for 7-10 minutes. The finished dish is drained through a colander and served. Various sauces and cheese are common accompaniments.

The most important point in preparing a pasta side dish is the question: “How long should I cook the pasta?” After all, many have learned from their own deplorable experience that even a high-quality product can be ruined by improper preparation. But there is no definite answer, because... The cooking time will depend on their type and the type of flour from which they are made.

Even during the cooking process, you should check the information on the packaging. The manufacturer always indicates the cooking time for their product. Another factor influencing the time regime is the further use of pasta. With their subsequent heat treatment(baking or frying) the cooking time is reduced.

How many minutes to cook:

You should only buy quality products. Broken products will spoil the taste of the entire dish.
If the product contains egg powder, the products will turn out soft and boiled.
You should always remember that products increase in size by 3 times. Therefore, 100 g is enough for 2 large servings.
It is better to cook the pasta in oil water so that it does not stick together. Therefore, it is recommended to add 1 tbsp to the water. spoon of any vegetable oil.
The water ratio must be at least 1:3. For 100 grams of dry products you can take from 300 ml to 1 liter of water.
To avoid sticking after cooking, drain the water immediately after cooking.
When preparing dishes from non-durum wheat varieties, rinse them with hot water after cooking.
It is believed that pasta that is undercooked for 2-3 minutes will become less caloric.
Proper cooking should be done in a wide pan without a lid.
Slightly overcooked ones can be saved by rinsing them with cold water.
If boiled pasta is used to prepare complex dishes with further heat treatment, then they should not be cooked for as many minutes as they will be cooked later.

Methods for preparing curly pasta

To ensure that the result of your favorite side dish is always successful, you should remember a few rules for preparing pasta in different ways: in a saucepan, microwave, double boiler or slow cooker, and even in an electric kettle.

The traditional method using horns as an example

The classic cooking method always guarantees an excellent final result. Let's look at it using the example of a specific type of product to understand how to cook pasta horns in a saucepan.

Required ingredients:

horns - 200 gr;
water - 1 l;
vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. spoon;
salt - 1 teaspoon.

Pour water into a wide bowl. Add butter to prevent the horns from sticking together. Salt the water. When the liquid boils, add the cones. Mix them well with a spoon so that the products do not stick together and stick to the bottom of the dish. Boil the horns for 7-10 minutes until tender. Drain the water and place the pasta in a colander. If necessary, rinse the finished products with cold water. Serve with sauces and gravy or sprinkle with grated cheese.

Cooking shells in a slow cooker

A quick and tasty dish if you cook pasta in a slow cooker. For this type household appliances Curly types of products are better suited: horns, bows, spirals. The multicooker will allow you to cook from the simplest to the most sophisticated and original pasta dishes.

Required ingredients:

shells - 200 gr;
water - 400 g;
salt - to taste;
vegetable oil/butter.

Simple cooking option:

Pour the shells into the bowl and fill them with water so that the water covers them by 2 cm. Add 1 spoon of butter. How long to cook pasta will depend on the selected mode. It is better to cook them in the “Steam” or “Pilaf” mode for about 12 minutes.

Roasted option:

Pour vegetable oil into the multicooker bowl until it covers the bottom. Add dry shells and mix them well so that the oil coats each product. Using the “Baking” or “Frying” mode, fry the shells for 10-15 minutes until they take on a pale brown color. During the frying process, you should stir everything 2-3 times.

As soon as the pasta has changed color, pour in hot boiled water so that it rises 2 fingers above the shells. Salt the liquid and season with spices to taste. You can add black pepper or suneli hops. Further cooking takes place in the “Pilaf” mode until the liquid has completely evaporated.

In this recipe, you can add chopped onions and carrots to the shells. They should be fried and boiled together.

Cooking feathers in the microwave

A microwave gives you an easy way to cook. Having such household appliances will allow you to cook dinner away from home without hassle. In addition, this cooking method ensures that the pasta will not “run away.”

Required ingredients:

feathers - 200 gr;
boiling water - 400 ml;
vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. spoon;
salt - to taste.

To save time on cooking, the prepared water should already be hot. It can be boiled with a kettle. Pour boiling water into a deep bowl and add feathers. The liquid should cover the products by 2-3 cm. After boiling, add salt and a spoonful of oil.
Stir, close the container with a lid and cook the feathers for 20 minutes at 300 W. If the power is increased to 550 W, then the cooking time should be reduced to 10-15 minutes. In general, how long to cook pasta in the microwave depends on the thickness of the product. The indicated parameters are typical for pasta with thick walls (feathers, horns), but for thin noodles the cooking time is significantly reduced.
Remove the finished feathers from the microwave, place them in a colander and rinse them under running water. cold water.

Cooking spirals in an electric kettle

The method is suitable for students and those who are “impatient” to eat pasta here and now. The method is rather humorous, but it makes it clear that cooking pasta under any conditions is not so difficult. Naturally, it is necessary to take into account that an electric kettle is only suitable for a certain type of product; spaghetti, cannelloni and nests cannot be cooked in it.

Required ingredients:

spirals - 100 g;
water 1 l;
sauce, salt, cheese - to taste.

Pour liquid into a clean kettle. Bring it to a boil. Add pasta to boiling water. It is difficult to say how long you need to cook pasta using this method.
With the kettle on, bring the water to a boil and turn it off. Perform this operation every 30 seconds, turning the kettle on and off for 7-9 minutes. At the end of cooking, drain the water and place the spirals on a plate.
Sprinkle them with salt to taste, add sauce and cheese if desired. It is recommended to wash the kettle immediately after use.

Features of the preparation of some types

Despite the simplicity of preparing all pasta, some types of products require a special approach, because... do not fit into the framework of “ordinary” options. For example, incorrectly welded sockets will change their appearance and lose their individuality. And classic spaghetti, if cooked incorrectly, can easily be broken or formed into a large lump.

Cooking nests correctly

Many are attracted by the original appearance of these pasta, reminiscent of bird's nests. However, careless handling can easily turn them into ordinary vermicelli. To keep them in their original form, you can cook them in two ways.

Frying method

Prepare a small, clean tin jar without a lid. Grease the inside of the mold with oil. Put a nest in it. The dish itself is prepared in a frying pan with oil. To do this, pour the vegetable and butter in equal portions. Heat the fat and very low heat fry the nests, turning them over after a while.

Place the finished nests on a plate and stuff with any filling.

Cooking method

For lovers of the traditional method of cooking, you need to stock up on a wide pan. Fill the bowl with water so that it covers the nests by 2-3 cm. Salt the liquid brought to a boil to taste. Place the pasta in the pan, being careful not to let it turn over while cooking.

Cook them in a saucepan according to package instructions. Creamy mushroom sauce with cheese is perfect for ready-made nests.

Cooking perfect spaghetti

Served as the only or second course for lunch or dinner, spaghetti requires some nuances during its preparation.

Unlike short pasta, spaghetti requires maximum water. Therefore, it is worth boiling them in liquid, taking it at the rate of up to 10 units. The cooking pan must also be of the appropriate size.

Long pasta should not be broken. It is enough to just leave them in the pan. After 1-1.5 minutes, the ends will soften in the water and all products can be lowered to the bottom.

The cooking time for spaghetti is usually indicated on the package, but should not exceed 8 minutes. But you should cook black spaghetti in half the amount of time, up to 3-4 minutes.

Since spaghetti is not ordinary pasta, rinsing after cooking does not apply to it. At the right approach, based on the opinion of Italians, long pasta should be slightly hard. Most The best way check readiness - taste. The finished products should be laid out using special tongs, lifting them high. This way it will be easy to separate the portions from each other. A the best supplement They will be accompanied by a variety of sauces that can be prepared using the water in which the pasta was cooked.

Simple pasta recipes for everyone

Having understood the rules for preparing pasta, it’s time to create complete, nutritious and tasty dishes for the whole family using them. Meat and vegetable options will appeal to avid gourmets and convinced vegetarians.

Navy pasta with stewed meat

A quick hearty dinner for a quick fix is able to feed the whole family, saving time for rest. A camping or country version with stewed meat instead of minced meat is simple and ingenuous. Mix pasta boiled in any way with the contents of the jar and serve. But even such a simple “navy” option can be slightly diversified, giving it bright flavor notes.

Required ingredients:

horns - 200 gr;
stew (350 g) - 1 can;
onion - 1 pc.

How to cook:

Cook the horns in salted water, without cooking them for 1-2 minutes. Drain the water, leaving some at the bottom of the pan.
When choosing stew, focus on the quality of the product, not the price. Melt the fat from the can in a frying pan. Chop the onion into small cubes and fry it in melted fat until golden brown.
Place the stewed meat pieces on the horns. Cook the pasta and stew over low heat until the fat is completely dissolved and the liquid boils.
Place the onion in the dish and mix everything carefully. A hearty and quick dinner for 2-3 people is ready.

Spaghetti Al Dente with vegetables

Al Dente is a special way of cooking pasta until it is “tender crunchy” or “crispy”, when it is already cooked but remains firm. Simply, it is a kind of slightly undercooked pasta, when during eating the tooth bites into the product, but at the same time feels a slight density. Italians consider this type of cooking the most correct and low-calorie. It should be noted that only durum varieties can be cooked al dente.

Required ingredients:

spaghetti - 350 gr;
tomatoes - 500 gr;
olives - 100 gr;
garlic - 2 cloves;
capers - 1 teaspoon;
hot pepper - 1 pc.;
olive oil- 6 tbsp. spoon;
parsley, oregano - optional;
salt - to taste.

How to cook:

The basis of this dish will be tomato vegetable sauce. To do this, peel the tomatoes by pouring boiling water over them and removing the skin. Grind the pulp.
Finely chop the oregano and parsley.
Heat olive oil in a frying pan. Flatten the garlic cloves with a knife and fry them in oil along with the pepper. Once the garlic is fried, remove it from the oil and add the tomatoes, capers, pitted olives and oregano to the pan. Cook the sauce for 10-12 minutes, then add parsley and simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
Throw the spaghetti into boiling water with salt and cook it al dente. It is impossible to say with certainty how long to cook al dente pasta. The main thing is to constantly taste and taste, because seconds count. If, when breaking, the pasta has a white mark in the middle, it means it is not yet cooked.
Pour the spaghetti boiled al dente with sauce and serve in portioned bowls.

Pasta is a universal product. It is eaten as a main dish, a side dish for meat and poultry, and added to salads and soups. Italy is considered to be the birthplace of the product, but, oddly enough, China is fighting with a European country for the right to be considered the birthplace of pasta. Nowadays, pasta is an integral part of the diet. But these products are delicious when prepared correctly. After reading the article to the end, you will learn how to cook pasta.

Pasta is divided into groups and types. In Russia, it is customary to divide products into three groups (according to the type of flour that is included in the product).

Group A: durum wheat flour of all varieties.
Group B: soft wheat flour of the highest, first grade.
Group B: baking flour of the highest and first grade.

The most common are products of the first group. Solid varieties are long-lasting carbohydrates that do not provoke sudden spikes in blood sugar, take longer to digest and do not turn into fat. They also contain less gluten - an ideal choice for allergy sufferers and those who are concerned about their health.

Pasta is divided not only into groups, but also into types according to shape and size.

Long: bavetti, capellini, vermicelli, spaghetti, spaghettoni, spaghettini, bucatini, maccheroncini, fettuccine, tagliatelle, mafaldine, linguini. Subspecies differ in length and width. The longest are spaghetti, according to the standard their length is half a meter, but for convenience the length was reduced to 25 centimeters. The thinnest are capellini, translated as “hair”, diameter - 1.2 mm.
Short: cellentani (spirals), fusilli (three twisted spirals), girandole (small fusilli), maccheroni (shell), penne (tubes with carved sides), pipe rigatti (snails).
For baking: cannelloni (large tubes), lasagne (rectangular sheets).
Soup: anelli (rings), stelline (stars), filini (noodles).
Curly: different shapes starting from butterflies, ending with letters.

Pasta may include spinach, tomatoes, eggs, and herbs.

Based on the degree of readiness, pasta is divided into two types.

Aldente: in Russia - undercooked pasta, cooked on the outside, hard on the inside. Al dente pasta is suitable for main dishes.
Pasta that has been cooked until fully cooked is fully cooked.

Cooking time for pasta depends on the group. Products from group A are cooked two minutes longer than B and C. Cooking time for baked products is 25 minutes, for soup - 12. Long ones are cooked until al dente - 7 minutes, until done - 9. Short ones are cooked until half cooked for 5 minutes, if desired cook until fully cooked, then keep the products in boiling water for 7 minutes.

How to cook pasta correctly - basic methods

Cooking pasta is not a difficult task, the main thing is to follow the basic rules and cooking time. Traditionally, the product is cooked in a saucepan, but with the advent of new technologies, new types of cooking have appeared in the lives of housewives.

In a saucepan

The first step is to bring the water to a boil. You need twice as much water as pasta. When the water boils, add pasta to the pan. Cook until the first boil, then reduce the heat and cook for the required time.

Stir the pasta several times to prevent sticking.

Before boiling again, cover the pan with a lid, and then cook without it. After the time has passed, the water is poured through a colander. The pasta is ready.

In a slow cooker

First, pasta is poured into the bowl and filled with water. Set the mode to “Pilaf”, “Cooking”, “Pasta”, “Steam”. Add two minutes to the standard cooking time. For example, long al dente pasta will cook for 9 minutes.

In the microwave

Cook pasta in the microwave only in glass containers. First you need to boil water - pour the required amount of liquid into a bowl, put it in the oven for full power for 10 minutes. Pour pasta into boiling water. There should be a little more water than when cooking on the stove. Turn on full power, set the timer for 7 minutes.

After the time has passed, leave the pasta to “cook” in the idle oven for 5-10 minutes.

In a steamer

The pasta is cooked not in the usual cooking compartment, but in the water container itself. Immerse the pasta in cold water, set the temperature to 80-85 degrees, close the lid. Cook for 5-10 minutes longer than on the stove.

Do I need to rinse pasta after cooking?

It is believed that pasta must be washed in order for it to be crumbly. This method appeared in Soviet times, when pasta was of poor quality and quickly boiled. The modern product does not require additional washing.

But if the pasta is accidentally overcooked, or it is of poor quality, you can correct the situation in a proven way. The cooked pasta is poured into a colander and then washed under running cold water. But there is one drawback - the side dish will cool down under water, you will have to eat the dish cold, or reheat it additionally.

Pasta can be washed when the main dish is not yet ready, but the side dish has already been cooked - this will stop the process of further cooking. The longer a hot product sits on the stove, the higher the likelihood of overcooking.

Overcooked, sticky pasta is the worst thing to serve on the dinner table. You can prevent sticking by knowing simple rules.

Boil in sufficient amount of water. The approximate ratio of pasta and water is ½, you can also calculate it using the formula for 100 g of pasta - liter of water.
Throw products only into boiling water. If you throw in too early, the pasta will boil and stick together.
Add salt to the water until it boils. How much seasoning is needed is determined by taste. The approximate ratio is half a teaspoon per 100 g of products.
Pour vegetable oil into the pan with pasta after boiling again. One or two teaspoons per liter of water will be enough.
Choose pasta made from durum wheat, they are much harder than other varieties.
Stir the side dish constantly while cooking. Be sure to stir immediately after the pasta gets into the water.

If the pasta does stick together, several simple methods will help correct the situation.

Add a few tablespoons of melted butter to the prepared pasta and mix well.
Fry the side dish in a frying pan, separating the pasta.
Add sauce or broth and stir.

Secrets of cooking pasta

Pasta is good as a side dish and as an independent dish. A few simple rules will help you make pasta even tastier.

Cook products only in purified, drinking water. The product absorbs from 25 to 30 percent of liquid. Eating plain-cooked pasta tap water, you risk introducing an infection into the body.
Pasta will taste better if you cook it in milk.
After cooking, the product should be immediately discarded in a colander and the unnecessary water should be drained. But you need to leave a little broth in the pan in which the side dish was cooked. The water will prevent the pasta from drying out. How much water to leave depends on the amount of pasta.
Ready-made pasta is usually mixed with a piece of butter - the side dish will not dry out even after a while. It’s tastier not just to mix pasta with a piece of butter, but to first melt it in a saucepan and add a side dish to the already melted butter.

TOP 3 recipes for an unforgettable side dish

In addition to answering the question of how to cook pasta, a real housewife should know recipes for delicious side dishes.

Tomato and basil will help diversify the usual dish. Diced tomatoes are mixed with vegetable oil. Add some water. Simmer until the tomato releases juice. Add seasonings. Mix the prepared pasta with the resulting sauce.
Sprinkle the finished pasta with grated cheese and mix well. It is best to add the cheese directly to the pan where the pasta was cooked. The cheese will melt a little and you will get a delicious, sticky independent dish that goes well with all types of meat.
Cut vegetables: zucchini, eggplant, tomato. Simmer a little with vegetable oil. Add pasta, pour over soy sauce, add spices. Great option for an Asian style dinner!

Conclusion

Now you know how to properly cook pasta of different groups and types. This product goes well with different sauces, vegetables, suitable as a side dish for fried and stewed meat. Don't be afraid to experiment - sweet pasta with added milk, sugar or jam favorite dish sweet tooth. Bon appetit!

Pasta is a dish that everyone loves. They are tasty, nutritious and quite easy to prepare. However, to get a truly tasty dish, it’s not enough to just cook the pasta. You need to cook them well, because even the recipe delicious dish You can ruin it if you don’t know how to cook pasta correctly.

In addition, in order not to be disappointed with the result of cooking, pasta must be of good quality. Therefore, the success of the cooking result depends on the right choice pasta

The highest quality and tastiest pasta is made from durum wheat. And although such pasta is more expensive, rest assured that it will not stick together or fall apart during cooking. In addition, unlike pasta made from white flour, they are healthy and can be consumed even by those watching their weight.

Pasta made from durum wheat is a real storehouse of healthy carbohydrates, which are classified as complex carbohydrates, thanks to which the human body is provided with energy for a long time. In addition, when consuming a reasonable amount of this product, the body will receive a number of vitamins and substances necessary for health. These products contain virtually no sodium, which is known to cause aging.

Choosing the right one

When choosing pasta in a store, pay attention to its appearance. To get a better look at the product, choose transparent packaging. A quality product has a smooth surface, a clean glassy cut and a creamy or golden hue. A product with a whitish or yellowish tint and a rough surface can be classified as low-quality. Also, there should be no flour dust in the bag. In addition, when purchasing, it is important to look at the composition of the product indicated on the packaging. Quality pasta contains only flour and water. In rare cases, eggs are added.

If you prefer colored pasta, make sure it is colored using natural dyes. Also check the packaging for integrity. If it is damaged, the products may absorb moisture, and this negatively affects their quality. And, of course, be sure to pay attention to the expiration date of the product.

Golden rules for preparing traditional types of pasta

To cook pasta well, you must adhere to the following time-tested rules:

The above information on how to cook pasta applies to such common and beloved products as horns, shells, noodles, feathers, spaghetti. At the same time, long products (spaghetti) do not need to be broken into smaller ones. It will be enough to simply press a little on them to immerse them in water. During the cooking process they will soften, after which it will be convenient to distribute them around the perimeter of the pan.

Alternative ways to cook pasta

Today, pasta can be cooked in other, more modern and convenient ways that do not require either stirring or monitoring the fire level:

in the microwave;
in a slow cooker;
in a steamer.

For products in the microwave, the amount of water should be twice the amount of pasta, that is, for 0.1 kg of dry product you need to take at least 0.2 liters of liquid. A glass pan of water is placed in the microwave until it boils. Next the pasta is added. It is important to ensure that the pasta is completely covered with water. Then add salt and vegetable oil (1 tbsp.). Pasta is cooked in the microwave in a closed container for an average of about 10 minutes at a power of 500 W. It should be taken into account that these parameters are optimal for preparing horns, feathers or shells. When cooking smaller and thinner products, you need to reduce the time or reduce the power.

When used for cooking, the water level in the pan should be 2-3 cm higher than the level of the pasta. Add butter to the pasta (about 1 tablespoon). Pasta is prepared for about 12 minutes using the “pilaf” or “steaming” mode. Some housewives, in order to simplify the process of preparing dinner, prepare another dish at the same time as pasta (for example, sausages or pieces chicken fillet) using a special steaming tray.

When cooking pasta in a steamer, pour it into a rice bowl and fill it with water. The water level should be about two centimeters higher than the pasta level. To avoid sticking, also pour a spoonful of vegetable oil into the bowl and add salt. The pasta is cooked for about 15 minutes under the lid.

Making pasta nests

Nowadays nest pasta is very popular, from which you can prepare many different dishes. They are prepared slightly differently than the types of pasta we are used to. Knowing how to cook pasta in the form of nests correctly, you can avoid them falling apart. To ensure that they keep their shape during cooking, the nests are prepared in a frying pan with high sides or in a saucepan with a wide bottom. The pasta nests should be laid out in one layer, leaving small spaces between them. Next, boiling water is poured in just enough to cover the nests. When the water boils, add salt and a little vegetable oil. Cook with the lid closed over moderate heat for the time indicated on the package or a couple of minutes less to obtain firmer pasta. Place the finished pasta nests on a dish with a slotted spoon and, if desired, fill with filling.