Pasta 101 - How to Cook Perfect Pasta Every Time

There's nothing more satisfying to me than perfectly cooked pasta.  It's a pretty simple task, but I find so many people are confused about how long to cook it, how much salt they should add, whether or not they should add oil, etc.

As far as I'm concerned, the first thing you have to do is start with a good brand of pasta.  Other than that, there are two major rules to remember - 1) season your water properly (should be salty like the sea), and 2) do not, I repeat, DO NOT let the pasta over cook.

Okay, time to cook so do like me:

For 1 pound of pasta, start with 1 gallon of cold water, and make sure your pot is large enough.  This is a 6 quart stockpot (for 2 pounds of pasta I would use a 12 quart stockpot).  Cover and bring to a boil.

When the water boils, add 1 ounce of salt (30 grams).  I weighed Kosher and fine sea salt - the volume was identical for both (4 1/2 teaspoons).

Controversial side note - you can add oil to the water if you like, but I don't.  Yes, oil will keep the starchy bubbles from boiling over, but if you use plenty of water and a big enough stockpot, you won't have to worry about it.  Some people say adding oil to the water helps keep the pasta from sticking together, but I disagree - the oil floats on top of the water, which does nothing to keep the pasta from sticking together... and the oil disappears down the drain before the pasta even hits the colander, which doesn't keep the pasta from sticking either.  But hey, if you like to use it, go for it.

Add pasta to the salted water and give it a stir.  Boil until it's almost done cooking - use the time given on the package as a guideline.  The only guaranteed way to know for sure is to taste the pasta. 

photo courtesy of my son's fancy schmancy camera - I'm drooling

Pasta should resist a little when bitten.  This batch is going into some meat sauce so I'll remove it from the water a little early and allow it to finish cooking in the sauce.  Mangia-Mangia! 

Tip - if I plan to serve my pasta and sauce separately, I'll let it cook a minute or two more, drain, rinse the hot stockpot with cold water so the pasta doesn't continue to cook, add the drained pasta back to the pot, drizzle with a little olive oil, and stir well.  Pasta will hold like this for an hour or so, or it can be refrigerated for use later.

Perfect Pasta

makes 1 pound (8 servings)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound good dried pasta - De Cecco is my favorite, but I like Barilla and Ronzoni too

• 1 gallon (16 cups) cold water

• 1 ounce of salt (30 grams, or 4 1/2 teaspoons Kosher or sea salt)

Directions

1. In a 6-quart or larger stock pot, bring water to a boil.

2. Slowly add salt and stir to dissolve completely (otherwise the salt will pit the bottom of your stockpot).

3. Add pasta and stir occasionally to prevent sticking; continue cooking until pasta reaches "al dente"
   

Shrimp Linguine Alfredo

Cheesy, Garlicy Goodness... Mmmmm.

When asked what my son wanted for his birthday dinner, he didn't hesitate in requesting this delicious dish - it's every bit as good as the Pasta Alfredo you get in an Italian Restaurant, but did you know how easy it is to make at home? Anyway, I'm not surprised by his request... this was the 3rd year in a row!

I probably don't need to mention that this is a very HIGH CALORIE dish - definitely a culinary splurge for most, but not so much for an active teenager!

Shrimp Linguine Alfredo

Serves 6

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound peeled and de-veined shrimp, cooked

• 1 pound linguine or fettuccine

• 2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2-4 cloves of garlic, smashed and left whole

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (use the good stuff)

• salt and pepper to taste (I go heavy on the pepper and light on the salt, Kosher)

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

• lemon zest for garnish (optional)

Directions

Before you begin, have the cooked shrimp ready to go and start making the Alfredo sauce just as you begin boiling the pasta (water should taste salty like the sea - use Kosher or sea salt). This is tastiest way I've found to cook shrimp.

1. In a very large saute pan, heat the butter and olive oil over med-hi heat (use unsalted butter because the cheese is very salty).

2. Add the smashed garlic cloves and cook for a minute or two, until you the garlic has flavored the butter/oil well (your nose will know). It's okay to let the garlic brown a bit, but don't let it burn.

3. Remove the garlic from the butter/oil. Add the heavy cream; heat until bubbly.

4. Add the cheese; stir until melted and well incorporated. Lower the heat and simmer at a slow rolling boil until the pasta is ready.

5. Just before adding the pasta, add the shrimp and any juices that have collected to the sauce and gently heat through; being careful not to over cook.

6. Add the parsley, s&p, and optional lemon zest; stir. Add pasta and toss well; serve immediately.

Notes

• This dish will thicken quickly upon standing. Recipe doubles well. Leftovers can be reheated by adding a little milk and stirring slowly over med heat.

• Cooked chicken and/or other long pasta shapes can be substituted. Enjoy!!