Pasta is one of the easiest dishes to whip up mid-week and feed a hungry, busy family.
Watch: Baked ravioli
However, research commissioned by Barilla and conducted by Pure Profile Omnibus found that Australians make five mistakes when cooking pasta. Fortunately, Andrea Tranchero, Barilla Australia Chef, has the answers to set you on the right track.
Five common pasta cooking mistakes
Mistake #1 Adding olive oil to the water
Nearly a third of Australians are wasting olive oil by adding it to the pasta water. “Bring a large pot of salty water to the boil, you need approximately 7 grams of salt per litre of water,” says Andrea. “This helps to season the pasta as it cooks. Once boiling, add pasta.”
Mistake #2 Combining sauce and pasta when serving
Less than half of Australians are only adding pasta sauce at the time of serving.
“Just prior to being cooked, transfer your pasta to the sauce to finish off the cooking, adding a spoonful of the cooking water. The heat of the pan will help the pasta take on the delicious flavours of the sauce, and the reserved cooking water will help the pasta and sauce combine,” says Andrea.
Mistake #3 Rinsing pasta
Nearly 30% of Australians wash away the starch on the pasta after cooking.
“Don’t rinse your pasta!” says Andrea. “This washes away the starch – which is what makes your sauce silky.”
Mistake #4 Throwing away all the pasta cooking water
Less than 1 in 5 of us know that adding some of the pasta cooking water into the sauce will help the pasta and sauce combine nicely.
“Make sure to reserve a spoonful of the pasta water once cooked,” says Andrea. “The salty water not only adds flavour to the dish, but helps the sauce thicken and adds a delicious creamy texture to the pasta.”
Mistake #5 Throwing it against the wall to check if it is cooked
1 in 20 of us are making cleaning up the kitchen harder work than necessary after cooking pasta.
“Cook the pasta according to the pasta instructions. Simply following packet instructions should result in a perfectly al dente taste – not crunchy, but firm with a little bite.”
Want to make your own creamy mushroom, spinach and pumpkin pasta? Watch the video below for the recipe!
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