Secrets of Pasta Cooking
It is a common misconception that every type of pasta will go with every type of sauce. If you have ever had spaghetti with peas, and you couldn’t really nail them, and the pasta was not flavorful enough, you know exactly what I mean!
Each pasta shape is supposed to go with a handful of sauces. The reason is that each pasta shape captures certain ingredients, as well as keeping its “al dente” perfection for a different amount of time. As a rule of thumb, thin pastas like angel hair and tagliolini are supposed to go with lighter sauces, like tomato and basil, while thicker pasta can “support” a heartier sauce- like a cheese sauce. Pasta shapes with holes and ridges are particularly fit for chunkier sauces, as the sauce gets “stuck” and delivered to your mount in the perfect balance!
When choosing what pasta to cook for dinner, here’s a quick guide of the most used pasta shapes, and the perfect pairing for each:
Spaghetti: Spaghetti are really a wild card when it comes to cooking! Make them light with a tomato and basil sauce sauteed with a bit of garlic, create a one-pot dish by making a aglio, olio e peperoncino topping (garlic, oil and a lot of red pepper), or find a heartier dressing in carbonara (bacon, eggs and Parmesan cheese), or spaghetti al tonno (with tuna fish in either a red or white sauce). In every case, spaghetti are always an Italian favorite!
Rigatoni: The best match for rigatoni is without doubt the bolognese sauce. The chunks of meat and tomatoes remain inside the tube to deliver the most delicious mouthful! In Rome carbonara is served with rigatoni, and also all’amatriciana (tomatoes, pancetta and onions).
Farfalle: My favorite topping for farfalle is made with assorted vegetables- a Primavera sauce of sort! Due to its particular shape and thickness, farfalle are also very well suited to make pasta salad, as they keep the al dente cooking for a long time.
Orecchiette: Ideal with broccoli and garlic, and a lot of Parmesan cheese!
Gnocchi: Best served with a cheese sauce- gnocchi ai quattro formaggi, or with gorgonzola, are just a perfect fit!
In all cases, the secret to a wonderful pasta dish is the salt. The water in which the pasta cooks is supposed to provide all the seasoning you need to the pasta. As a consequence, a generous serving of salt goes into the boiling water- a fistful for a gallon of water! My friends usually shriek when I mention this, but it’s easy to see how all the salt gets drained away, leaving behind only the right amount to make a perfect pasta! Try it and you won’t be disappointed- and the pasta will not taste salty!
Buon appetito!
Filed under: Culinary Culture
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