Is it true that you are never supposed to cover the pot that you are cooking
pasta in? I've been told that, but I have no idea why that would be.....

Aria > wrote:
> Is it true that you are never supposed to cover the pot that you are cooking
> pasta in? I've been told that, but I have no idea why that would be.....

Unless you have a large pot with plenty of room at the top for the heated
water to expand, covering the pot will cause the water to overflow. Try
it and find out.

Aria > wrote:
> Is it true that you are never supposed to cover the pot that you are cooking
> pasta in? I've been told that, but I have no idea why that would be.....

Unless you have a large pot with plenty of room at the top for the heated
water to expand, covering the pot will cause the water to overflow. Try
it and find out.

That's the only reason....I thought it somehow affected the consistency of
the pasta. I won't worry about it then.

> wrote in message ...
> Aria > wrote:
> > Is it true that you are never supposed to cover the pot that you are
cooking
> > pasta in? I've been told that, but I have no idea why that would be.....
>
> Unless you have a large pot with plenty of room at the top for the heated
> water to expand, covering the pot will cause the water to overflow. Try
> it and find out.
>

That's the only reason....I thought it somehow affected the consistency of
the pasta. I won't worry about it then.

> wrote in message ...
> Aria > wrote:
> > Is it true that you are never supposed to cover the pot that you are
cooking
> > pasta in? I've been told that, but I have no idea why that would be.....
>
> Unless you have a large pot with plenty of room at the top for the heated
> water to expand, covering the pot will cause the water to overflow. Try
> it and find out.
>

Aria wrote:
>
> Is it true that you are never supposed to cover the pot that you are cooking
> pasta in? I've been told that, but I have no idea why that would be.....

Silly stuff.

I also heard never to hard boil pasta.

Cook it according to the box instructions for best results.

--
JaKe, Seattle
"If you can read this thank a teacher.
If you are reading it in English
thank a veteran."

Aria wrote:

> Is it true that you are never supposed to cover the pot that you are cooking
> pasta in? I've been told that, but I have no idea why that would be.....

Pasta contains starch which will form foam on top of the boiling
water. It breaks down with exposure to cooler air. Covering the pot
keeps the heat in and lets the foam continue to rise to the top of the
pot and out from under the lid. It will boil over and make wonderful
SSSSSSSssssss sounds as it hits the burner.

Otherwise, no good reason.

Pastorio

"Bob (this one)" > wrote in message
...
> Aria wrote:
>
>> Is it true that you are never supposed to cover the pot that you are
>> cooking
>> pasta in? I've been told that, but I have no idea why that would be.....
>
> Pasta contains starch which will form foam on top of the boiling water. It
> breaks down with exposure to cooler air. Covering the pot keeps the heat
> in and lets the foam continue to rise to the top of the pot and out from
> under the lid. It will boil over and make wonderful SSSSSSSssssss sounds
> as it hits the burner.

Not mandatory. The Lid is used to keep the water hot. specially just after
fou dip the cold raw pasta into boiling water.
If you want to keep the water hotter always, put a lind on the pot, but
leave a small aperture to make air cook down the foam and just the surface
of the boiling water. I use the wodden spoon/fork to stirr the pasta.
No problem if you have an electric cooker, but it it works with gas the foam
could estinguish the flame leving the gas came out.
Not considering that you have to clean the cooker of the dried starch...

Luca

"JaKe" > wrote in message
...
> Aria wrote:
>>
>> Is it true that you are never supposed to cover the pot that you are
>> cooking
>> pasta in? I've been told that, but I have no idea why that would be.....
>
> Silly stuff.
>
> I also heard never to hard boil pasta.
>
> Cook it according to the box instructions for best results.

I do not know what you relly mean with "hard boil" but pasta *MUST* be
boiled not just warmed up....
I think that's why I had real "raw pasta" or "pasta glue" abroad.

Have I to start from the basics?
1) put a lot of water to boil. I mean a lot: 5 liter for 5-6 people.
2) When boiling add the salt.
3) put the pasta into *boiling* water
4) tirn the fire to max, and put a lidder on the pot in necessary to rise
the heat of the water
5) keep *boiling* until cokked (see instructions or taste; pasta is cokked
just when is no more crichy in the very inside)
6) if you want to saute pasta with the sauce, take it off from fire 1-5
minutes before (depending on the size of the pasta)

Ciao
Luca

"Dieter H." > wrote in message
...
> "JaKe" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Aria wrote:
>>>
>>> Is it true that you are never supposed to cover the pot that you are
>>> cooking
>>> pasta in? I've been told that, but I have no idea why that would be.....
>>
>> Silly stuff.
>>
>> I also heard never to hard boil pasta.
>>
>> Cook it according to the box instructions for best results.
>
> I do not know what you relly mean with "hard boil" but pasta *MUST* be
> boiled not just warmed up....
> I think that's why I had real "raw pasta" or "pasta glue" abroad.
> Ciao
> Luca

Dieter, you are the usual ... (censoder).
Do *not* saty here stelaling muy account or I had to report it to the
postmaster.
I'll post a fake recipe of knodel if insists.
Even if you are my collegue *do not write posts in my name!!!*

The rel Luca

---
Nolite proicere margaritas ad porcos

"Dieter H." > wrote in message
...
> "JaKe" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Aria wrote:
>>>
>>> Is it true that you are never supposed to cover the pot that you are
>>> cooking
>>> pasta in? I've been told that, but I have no idea why that would be.....
>>
>> Silly stuff.
>>
>> I also heard never to hard boil pasta.
>>
>> Cook it according to the box instructions for best results.
>
> I do not know what you relly mean with "hard boil" but pasta *MUST* be
> boiled not just warmed up....
> I think that's why I had real "raw pasta" or "pasta glue" abroad.
> Ciao
> Luca

Dieter, you are the usual ... (censoder).
Do *not* saty here stelaling muy account or I had to report it to the
postmaster.
I'll post a fake recipe of knodel if insists.
Even if you are my collegue *do not write posts in my name!!!*

The rel Luca

---
Nolite proicere margaritas ad porcos

>covering the pot will cause the water to overflow

Not if you turn down the heat once a boil is established.

I wouldn't ever cover pasta when cooking it. For one thing, I'm one of those
people who constantly stirs pasta to keep it from sticking to the bottom, and
that is difficult to do with the lid on the pot.

Michael O'Connor - Modern Renaissance Man

"I actually thought about voting for John Kerry before I decided to vote
against him."

>WardNA) writes:
>
>>sumwun sed:
>>covering the pot will cause the water to overflow
>
>Not if you turn down the heat once a boil is established.

And then the boil slows to a simmer, the pasta settles to the bottom and unless
you stand there stirring constantly it clumps into a useless mass... and of
course it's kinda difficult to stir through a pot lid. Cooking pasta requires
a hard boil, save the simmering for stew.


---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
*********
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
Sheldon
````````````

>WardNA) writes:
>
>>sumwun sed:
>>covering the pot will cause the water to overflow
>
>Not if you turn down the heat once a boil is established.

And then the boil slows to a simmer, the pasta settles to the bottom and unless
you stand there stirring constantly it clumps into a useless mass... and of
course it's kinda difficult to stir through a pot lid. Cooking pasta requires
a hard boil, save the simmering for stew.


---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
*********
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
Sheldon
````````````

Aria wrote:
>
> That's the only reason....I thought it somehow affected the consistency of
> the pasta. I won't worry about it then.

Actually Lydia (from Lydia's Italian-American Kitchen)
recommends putting the lid on as soon as you add the pasta
to the boiling water in order to bring it back up to the
boil as soon as possible. She removes the lid after a
couple of minutes - I presume to avoid the boil-over
problem, although she doesn't say.

Kate

> > wrote in message ...
> > Aria > wrote:
> > > Is it true that you are never supposed to cover the pot that you are
> cooking
> > > pasta in? I've been told that, but I have no idea why that would be.....
> >
> > Unless you have a large pot with plenty of room at the top for the heated
> > water to expand, covering the pot will cause the water to overflow. Try
> > it and find out.
> >


--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

Kate Connally writes:
>
>Actually Lydia (from Lydia's Italian-American Kitchen)
>recommends putting the lid on as soon as you add the pasta
>to the boiling water in order to bring it back up to the
>boil as soon as possible. She removes the lid after a
>couple of minutes - I presume to avoid the boil-over
>problem, although she doesn't say.

Good theoretical, not practical.

Nine times out of ten the boil-over will win out over your removing the lid in
time... been there, done that... don't anymore.

But I do use a pot lid for cooking pasta, but only to bring the pot of water to
the boil... and often I'll start the water a cookin' an hour or more before
dinner time.... place a large covered potful on the lowest heat setting of your
largest burner, then an hour or so later when you're ready to cook turn up the
heat full high and in two minutes you're ready to cook, dump in the pasta,
stir, and put that lid away. Be sure to have the colander and pot holders at
the ready, and a clear sink.


---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
*********
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
Sheldon
````````````

Kate Connally writes:
>
>Actually Lydia (from Lydia's Italian-American Kitchen)
>recommends putting the lid on as soon as you add the pasta
>to the boiling water in order to bring it back up to the
>boil as soon as possible. She removes the lid after a
>couple of minutes - I presume to avoid the boil-over
>problem, although she doesn't say.

Good theoretical, not practical.

Nine times out of ten the boil-over will win out over your removing the lid in
time... been there, done that... don't anymore.

But I do use a pot lid for cooking pasta, but only to bring the pot of water to
the boil... and often I'll start the water a cookin' an hour or more before
dinner time.... place a large covered potful on the lowest heat setting of your
largest burner, then an hour or so later when you're ready to cook turn up the
heat full high and in two minutes you're ready to cook, dump in the pasta,
stir, and put that lid away. Be sure to have the colander and pot holders at
the ready, and a clear sink.


---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
*********
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
Sheldon
````````````

previously in rfc, (PENMART01) wrote:

> Kate Connally writes:
>>
>>Actually Lydia (from Lydia's Italian-American Kitchen)
>>recommends putting the lid on as soon as you add the pasta
>>to the boiling water in order to bring it back up to the
>>boil as soon as possible. She removes the lid after a
>>couple of minutes - I presume to avoid the boil-over
>>problem, although she doesn't say.
>
> Good theoretical, not practical.
>
> Nine times out of ten the boil-over will win out over your removing
> the lid in time... been there, done that... don't anymore.

Heh. I was just thinking that I'd never get back to remove the lid in
time! Or I'd totally forget.

>
> But I do use a pot lid for cooking pasta, but only to bring the pot of
> water to the boil... and often I'll start the water a cookin' an hour
> or more before dinner time.... place a large covered potful on the
> lowest heat setting of your largest burner, then an hour or so later
> when you're ready to cook turn up the heat full high and in two
> minutes you're ready to cook, dump in the pasta, stir, and put that
> lid away.

Same here. I have to do it in advance. It just takes too long to get a
huge pot up to boil from scratch when I need it.


Be sure to have the colander and pot holders at the ready,
> and a clear sink.



I've started using a workaround because sometimes I'm cooking so fast and
furiously that by the time I'm ready to drain my pasta my smallish sink is
full again. So, what I do is start removing the pasta a minute or so
earlier than I would (to account for the time it takes me to get it all
out), and using either a wide handheld strainer for small shapes or one of
those spaghetti forks for longer shapes, I take it out of the water in
segments into a bowl on the counter or into the next pan....

-Claudia


>
>
> ---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
> ---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
> *********
> "Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
> Sheldon
> ````````````
>