Pasta Hacks That Will Take Your Cooking To A Whole New Level

Nov 8, 2022

While cooking pasta is a no-brainer, make a small mistake and you might end up with a stick, sloppy and tasteless pasta. Hence, comes the pasta hacks taking your cooking to a whole new level. Mastering the art of pasta recipes is not difficult. However, that doesn’t guarantee that you are making it in the best possible way.

So, hold onto your pans and pots as we share foolproof hacks to streamline your pasta recipes.

1. Choose The Right Shape

While you might be tempted to pick your favorite pretty-looking pasta from the grocery aisle, chances are the shape might not with the recipe that you are planning to cook. Experts recommend using a shorter pasta shape for baked dishes. The Italian market says Gemelli, orzo, and penne are great options for this kind of dish. Meanwhile, a butter or oil-based sauce, paired with a more delicate pasta shape may be a better way to go.

2. Use The Pasta Water

The pasta water is the magic potion and no, we’re not exaggerating. Experts recommend using the pasta water for an added hint of flavor in the pasta sauce rather than draining it down the sink. Reserve some of the water in a container to use later and then add it to your sauce. Later, while adding the pasta to the dish, you can pour in some of that reserved pasta water. You’ll be amazed at how it can transform an average sauce into something really special.

3. Olive Oil For Leftovers

Have you ever looked at the leftover pasta in distress? This tends to happen once you take a look at the clumpy pasta sitting in the fridge. Well, not anymore! Using this hack will revive your pasta to an extent that it will not only look fresh but also taste fresh. All you need to do is to add some olive oil to the noodles before refrigerating. The extra bit of fat will cling to the pasta, preventing the pieces from sticking.

4. Rinse Or Not To Rinse?

If you are someone who always rinses the pasta right after cooking then you might need to rethink. Experts recommend rinsing pasta in only two instances; If you are planning to use it in a salad or if you plan to stir-fry the pasta since the extra starch can get clumpy and messy in the pan.

If you’re serving a hot pasta dish with sauce, rinsing the pasta can get rid of that extra starch which can make your sauce thicker and creamier.

5. Always Cook In A Shallow Pan

If your stovetop takes several minutes to heat up then you might want to switch from cooking your pasta in a pot to a pan. Heating a flat pan of hot water will spread the water more evenly across the heating element and it will start boiling faster. Then, you can add your pasta to the pan and get cooking faster.

6. Re-heat And Re-eat

Reheating the leftovers only to find out that the pasta now feels dry and icky takes away all the excitement. While reheating your pasta in the microwave, remember to add a bit of water to the dish to ensure the pasta doesn’t get dried out. You can use a similar method if you’re reheating your pasta on the stove — make sure to steam it a bit so you don’t have to contend with hard, crunchy noodles. Baking your pasta is another great way to ensure that it doesn’t get clumpy or dry, of course only if you don’t mind the slight change in texture.

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