We looked at the golden rules as to how to cook the perfect pasta, and today we examine what you’re not “supposed” to do with pasta.
This is one for the purists, and although I’m one to experiment with pasta there’s a few things I just won’t do.
Feel free to add your “pasta prohibitions” in the comments.
1.
Never rinse pasta, cooked or raw.
The whole point of leaving pasta starchy and salty is that it subsequently has flavour.
If you rinse that all away, it becomes quite boring, not to mention cold.
2.
Don’t undercook your pasta – there’s nothing worse than crunchy pasta that sticks to your teeth.
3.
Following number two, never overcook your pasta or it becomes something more like what you’d serve to your nonna when she doesn’t have her dentures in.
To get it right between two and three, some people follow the instructions on the packet to the letter and will time their pasta with a stop watch, others taste test around about when cooking time is up.
4.
There are certain ingredients that you’ll never find in real Italian pasta and chicken is one of them.
There’s nothing more to say.
5.
Don’t overdo the sauce.
Your pasta should mix nicely with your sauce, not swim in it.
6.
“Spaghetti bolognese” in Italy is often actually called “ragu’”.
If you see it as ragu’ on a menu, it’s a genuine Italian restaurant.
7.
If said menu above is also in German, English, and Japanese, with pictures of the food, keep on walking – there’s nothing you want to eat here.
8.
The pitfalls of ordering lasagne: make sure the restaurant spruiking its “homemade” lasagne is a place that knows what it’s doing.
Otherwise you’ll get lasagne heated up in a microwave and let’s say a cold centre isn’t something you want to try.
Lasagne is good if it’s on the specials list – you can often be assured that it’s fresh and homemade.
I’ll leave nine and ten up to you guys but any comments on mixing olives, sundried tomatoes and capers, or overdoing the garlic, are most welcome!
