How to Make Perfect Pasta

Whole-grain pasta can be a delicious part of a weight loss plan. Here are a few helpful pasta cooking tips.

Perfect Pasta, Step-by-Step

Carefully follow the directions on the package when cooking pasta as different varieties will cook differently. Pasta should be cooked as close to serving time as possible as it cools quickly and does not reheat easily without a sauce.

1. Be sure to use a large pot and plenty of water (at least at least 4 quarts of water per pound of pasta and even more for rice pasta).

2. Place the pot on a large burner, and turn to high.

3. Bring water to a full rolling boil. The bubbles should rapidly break the surface of the water.

4. If desired, add salt to the water at this time. Don’t add salt before the water boils, or the water will take longer to come to a boil.

5. Gently drop pasta into the rapidly boiling water. Don’t break the pasta to fit the pot, use a spoon or fork to bend it as it softens.

6. Stir gently, but thoroughly.

7. Return the water to a boil and cook pasta at a continuous, rolling boil.

8. Cook pasta for the length of time indicated on package. Avoid stirring unless necessary to prevent pasta from sticking together or to the bottom of the pan.

9. Place a large colander in the (clean) kitchen sink.

10. When pasta is done, carefully pour the pasta and water it was cooked in into colander. Shake colander to drain off any excess water, but don’t rinse. Sauce adheres to sticky pasta better than rinsed pasta.

More Pasta Tips

When cooking pasta to be added to another dish that requires additional cooking, the pasta should be slightly undercooked. The pasta will finish cooking when it is cooked with the rest of the ingredients in the dish. If the pasta is thoroughly cooked before adding it to the other ingredients, it may become mushy when cooked in the final dish.

Most dry pasta doubles in volume when cooked.

If you plan to using a sauce, don’t add oil to the cooked pasta or the sauce will just slide off the pasta.

For good health and accelerated weight loss, try using Tinkyada brand brown rice pasta. This pasta is unrefined and high in fiber, but doesn’t have the “cardboard” taste usually associated with whole grain pasta. For best results, follow cooking directions on package carefully.