I tried whole wheat pasta the other day. My wife and I both think it
tastes good, but it does not hold sauce well. Most likely this is due to
the fact that it has less starch, which helps bond sauce to the pasta.

Is this true of all whole wheat pasta? What brands do you guys
recommend? Any cooking tips, should I cook it differently than normal
pasta? Normally I boil it until al dente, rinse in hot water, and toss
in olive oil.

--
John Gaughan
http://www.johngaughan.net/

John Gaughan wrote:

>
> Normally I boil it until al dente, rinse in hot water, and toss
> in olive oil.
>

WHY? That's all I wanna know.. WHY would you rinse in *any* pasta that just
boiled in water?? It just makes no sense to me whatsoever.
Goomba

Goomba38 wrote:
> John Gaughan wrote:
>
>>
>> Normally I boil it until al dente, rinse in hot water, and toss
>> in olive oil.
>>
>
> WHY? That's all I wanna know.. WHY would you rinse in *any* pasta
> that just boiled in water?? It just makes no sense to me whatsoever.
> Goomba

Yes, and I have to add, is the OP tossing in olive oil because that's the
"sauce" he speaks of? (I often enjoy pasta simply tossed with olive oil and
some herbs.) Or is he expecting some other sort of "sauce" to cling to the
pasta after it's been tossed in oil?

Jill

"jmcquown" > wrote in
:

> Goomba38 wrote:
>> John Gaughan wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Normally I boil it until al dente, rinse in hot water, and toss
>>> in olive oil.
>>>
>>
>> WHY? That's all I wanna know.. WHY would you rinse in *any* pasta
>> that just boiled in water?? It just makes no sense to me whatsoever.
>> Goomba
>
> Yes, and I have to add, is the OP tossing in olive oil because that's
> the "sauce" he speaks of? (I often enjoy pasta simply tossed with
> olive oil and some herbs.) Or is he expecting some other sort of
> "sauce" to cling to the pasta after it's been tossed in oil?
>
> Jill
>
>
>

I do what the OP says only when I'm saving the pasta for use later. Like in
a stir fry or pasta salad. I find rinsing and oil stop the pasta from
sticking together.

--
Once during Prohibition I was forced to live for days on nothing but food
and water.
--------
FIELDS, W. C.

In rec.food.cooking, hahabogus > wrote:

> I do what the OP says only when I'm saving the pasta for use later. Like in
> a stir fry or pasta salad. I find rinsing and oil stop the pasta from
> sticking together.

We've been through all this before. The bottom line is that the
ilitarete immagrents that Sheldon hung out with as a boy didn't do either
thing, so it is ipso facto WRONG.

HTH.

--
....I'm an air-conditioned gypsy...

- The Who

In article >,
"jmcquown" > wrote:

> Goomba38 wrote:
> > John Gaughan wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> Normally I boil it until al dente, rinse in hot water, and toss
> >> in olive oil.
> >>
> >
> > WHY? That's all I wanna know.. WHY would you rinse in *any* pasta
> > that just boiled in water?? It just makes no sense to me whatsoever.
> > Goomba
>
> Yes, and I have to add, is the OP tossing in olive oil because that's the
> "sauce" he speaks of? (I often enjoy pasta simply tossed with olive oil and
> some herbs.) Or is he expecting some other sort of "sauce" to cling to the
> pasta after it's been tossed in oil?
>
> Jill
>
>

My dad makes a _killer_ pasta dish served in a clam sauce that is heavy
in olive oil........

Might have to ask him to make that today! I'm kinda in the mood for
something that spicy. :-)

Clams vangole.

OhMyGod........

K.

--
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>,,<Cat's Haven Hobby Farm>,,<Katra at centurytel dot net>,,<
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Katra wrote:
> Clams vangole.

Vongole which just means clams in Italian.

Cristina

--
Info on Moving to Italy and Driving in Italy
http://www.cristinasweb.com

In article >,
"cristina" <siena_us(REMOVE BEFORE > wrote:

> Katra wrote:
> > Clams vangole.
>
> Vongole which just means clams in Italian.
>
> Cristina

Oops! %-)
That is what dad always called his recipe.......

It is very good tho'. He serves it over linguine.
Lots of olive oil, baby clams, garlic and onions.

K.

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In article >,
Goomba38 > wrote:

> John Gaughan wrote:
>
> >
> > Normally I boil it until al dente, rinse in hot water, and toss
> > in olive oil.
> >
>
> WHY? That's all I wanna know.. WHY would you rinse in *any* pasta that just
> boiled in water?? It just makes no sense to me whatsoever.
> Goomba
>

'cause it tastes "cleaner", at least to me.
Keeps it from being as sticky, sticking to itself.

That's the only reason I do it. :-)

Depends on how much water I used and how starchy the boiling water gets.
I don't rinse 100% of the time.

Now I use rice or corn pasta, and I never have to rinse corn pasta. :-)
De-bohls is great for coeliacs.......

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Katra wrote:
> 'cause it tastes "cleaner", at least to me.
> Keeps it from being as sticky, sticking to itself.
>

If it is sticking together you are cooking it for too long.

Cristina
--
Info on Moving to Italy and Driving in Italy
http://www.cristinasweb.com

In article >,
"cristina" <siena_us(REMOVE BEFORE > wrote:

> Katra wrote:
> > 'cause it tastes "cleaner", at least to me.
> > Keeps it from being as sticky, sticking to itself.
> >
>
> If it is sticking together you are cooking it for too long.
>
> Cristina

Probably, but I don't like pasta "aldente" or however you spell it.
I like it softer.

K.

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On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 05:53:51 -0500, Goomba38 >
wrote:

>John Gaughan wrote:
>
>>
>> Normally I boil it until al dente, rinse in hot water, and toss
>> in olive oil.
>>
>
>WHY? That's all I wanna know.. WHY would you rinse in *any* pasta that just
>boiled in water?? It just makes no sense to me whatsoever.
>Goomba

It depends on the brand. I have tried pasta that leached out so much
starch that it left gunk on the bottom of the pan. Needless to say, I
didn't use that brand again.

The answer for John, if that's the problem, is to switch brands!

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

John Gaughan wrote:
Normally I boil it until al dente, rinse in hot water, and toss
> in olive oil.


Pasta cooking 101

Bring water to a boil in a large pot, at least 3 litres of water.
Add a good handful of sea salt.
Add pasta and cook for about a minute less than the recommended time,
stirring occaisionally.
In a seperate pan, cook your sauce.
When the pasta is done, drain lightly (you want some of the water) but do
not throw away all of the water
Add pasta to the sauce in the sauce pan
Stir well, add a ladle or so of the pasta cooking water and stir again
Let the pasta cook for a minute to absorb the flavor of the sauce.
Plate and serve.

Cristina in Italy
--
Info on Moving to Italy and Driving in Italy
http://www.cristinasweb.com

In rec.food.cooking, cristina <siena_us(REMOVE BEFORE > wrote:

> Pasta cooking 101

> Bring water to a boil in a large pot, at least 3 litres of water.
> Add a good handful of sea salt.

A handful!? Really?

--
....I'm an air-conditioned gypsy...

- The Who

On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 16:03:53 +0000 (UTC),
wrote:

>In rec.food.cooking, cristina <siena_us(REMOVE BEFORE > wrote:
>
>> Pasta cooking 101
>
>> Bring water to a boil in a large pot, at least 3 litres of water.
>> Add a good handful of sea salt.
>
>A handful!? Really?

I've heard that the water is supposed to be as salty as the sea.
Having never had seawater, that's a little vague ;>

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

Curly Sue wrote:
> On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 16:03:53 +0000 (UTC),
> wrote:
>
>> In rec.food.cooking, cristina <siena_us(REMOVE BEFORE
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> Pasta cooking 101
>>
>>> Bring water to a boil in a large pot, at least 3 litres of water.
>>> Add a good handful of sea salt.
>>
>> A handful!? Really?
>
> I've heard that the water is supposed to be as salty as the sea.
> Having never had seawater, that's a little vague ;>
>
> Sue(tm)
> Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

I've accidentally gulped down seawater in the Atlantic, the Pacific and the
Indian Ocean. I can assure you, it's very salty! Hmm, that's why people
love 'sea salt' ?

Jill

The aphorism about salting the pasta water is a metaphor, but the many
people do put a lot of salt into the pasta water.

--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Louis Cohen
Living la vida loca at N37° 43' 7.9" W122° 8' 42.8"


"Curly Sue" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 16:03:53 +0000 (UTC),
> wrote:
>
> >In rec.food.cooking, cristina <siena_us(REMOVE BEFORE >
wrote:
> >
> >> Pasta cooking 101
> >
> >> Bring water to a boil in a large pot, at least 3 litres of water.
> >> Add a good handful of sea salt.
> >
> >A handful!? Really?
>
> I've heard that the water is supposed to be as salty as the sea.
> Having never had seawater, that's a little vague ;>
>
> Sue(tm)
> Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

In article >,
"Louis Cohen" > wrote:

> The aphorism about salting the pasta water is a metaphor, but the many
> people do put a lot of salt into the pasta water.
>
>

Not _this_ people... ick!
If I want to flavor my pasta, I'll just boil it in some bullion broth.
Knorr cubes are handy dandy. ;-)

But, they are also very high in salt, so fresh made stock is better.

I just don't cook with a lot of salt for numerous reasons. I'd much
rather add a little salt at the end if the recipe needs it, or even at
the table and let folks add their own.

K.

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Curly Sue wrote:
>
> On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 16:03:53 +0000 (UTC),
> wrote:

> >A handful!? Really?
>
> I've heard that the water is supposed to be as salty as the sea.
> Having never had seawater, that's a little vague ;>
>
Never swam in the sea? Sea water is enough to burn my eyes and nose.
Maybe the poster has small fists.
If I put a ladelful back in the pan, I'd get watery sauce.

On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 17:27:33 -0800, kalanamak >
wrote:

>Curly Sue wrote:
>>
>> On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 16:03:53 +0000 (UTC),
>> wrote:
>
>> >A handful!? Really?
>>
>> I've heard that the water is supposed to be as salty as the sea.
>> Having never had seawater, that's a little vague ;>
>>
>Never swam in the sea? Sea water is enough to burn my eyes and nose.
>Maybe the poster has small fists.


>If I put a ladelful back in the pan, I'd get watery sauce.

Yeah, I've never understood that.

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

kalanamak wrote:
> Curly Sue wrote:
>>
>> On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 16:03:53 +0000 (UTC),
>> wrote:
>
>>> A handful!? Really?
>>
>> I've heard that the water is supposed to be as salty as the sea.
>> Having never had seawater, that's a little vague ;>
>>
> Never swam in the sea? Sea water is enough to burn my eyes and nose.
> Maybe the poster has small fists.
> If I put a ladelful back in the pan, I'd get watery sauce.

Nope, don't have small hands. If you use enough water the pasta will not be
salty, just taste correct. At least that is the way it is here in Italy.
If I did not salt the water enough I would get the common "è sciocco" which
means it didn't have enough salt. Adding more salt to the sauce just makes
the dish salty not flavorful.

About the ladle of water, depends on for how many people but for 4 people (1
pound of pasta) a ladle is right. If you have a watery sauce that means the
pasta is overcooked and couldn't absorb any more. If you remove the pasta
when it is almost al dente and then add the sauce then the water and let it
cook for the last minute, the water gets absorbed.

Every time I give advice on cooking pasta people have the same somments.
Every time I teach someone how to cook pasta and they taste the results they
comment instead on how the pasta tastes delicious. Many people come to
Italy and love the pasta they get here but when they get back home they can
never figure out why it doesn't taste as good. If you follow my steps it
will taste as good.

Cristina
--
Info on Moving to Italy and Driving in Italy
http://www.cristinasweb.com

In article >,
wrote:

> In rec.food.cooking, cristina <siena_us(REMOVE BEFORE >
> wrote:
>
> > Pasta cooking 101
>
> > Bring water to a boil in a large pot, at least 3 litres of water.
> > Add a good handful of sea salt.
>
> A handful!? Really?


I questioned that as well...
Been eating low sodium now for a long time, and that sounded _gross_.

I do use a bit of salt in my boiling water, but no more than 1 tsp.,
usually less.

K.

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On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 14:35:58 -0600, Katra
> wrote:

>In article >,
> wrote:
>
>> In rec.food.cooking, cristina <siena_us(REMOVE BEFORE >
>> wrote:
>>
>> > Pasta cooking 101
>>
>> > Bring water to a boil in a large pot, at least 3 litres of water.
>> > Add a good handful of sea salt.
>>
>> A handful!? Really?
>
>
>I questioned that as well...
>Been eating low sodium now for a long time, and that sounded _gross_.
>
>I do use a bit of salt in my boiling water, but no more than 1 tsp.,
>usually less.

At that level, why bother? Most of it goes down the drain anyway. :>

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

In rec.food.cooking, Curly Sue > wrote:
> >
> >I do use a bit of salt in my boiling water, but no more than 1 tsp.,
> >usually less.

> At that level, why bother? Most of it goes down the drain anyway. :>

It raises the temperature of the water.

--
....I'm an air-conditioned gypsy...

- The Who

Katra > wrote in message >...
> In article >,
> wrote:
>
> > In rec.food.cooking, cristina <siena_us(REMOVE BEFORE >
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Pasta cooking 101
>
> > > Bring water to a boil in a large pot, at least 3 litres of water.
> > > Add a good handful of sea salt.
> >
> > A handful!? Really?
>
>
> I questioned that as well...
> Been eating low sodium now for a long time, and that sounded _gross_.
>
> I do use a bit of salt in my boiling water, but no more than 1 tsp.,
> usually less.
>
> K.


I dont think I could taste a teaspoon of salt in a gallon of water.

I also add about a handful of salt to about a gallon of water. I do
have small hands, and it works for me.
-bwg

In article >,
(Barry Grau) wrote:

> Katra > wrote in message
> >...
> > In article >,
> > wrote:
> >
> > > In rec.food.cooking, cristina <siena_us(REMOVE BEFORE >
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > Pasta cooking 101
> >
> > > > Bring water to a boil in a large pot, at least 3 litres of water.
> > > > Add a good handful of sea salt.
> > >
> > > A handful!? Really?
> >
> >
> > I questioned that as well...
> > Been eating low sodium now for a long time, and that sounded _gross_.
> >
> > I do use a bit of salt in my boiling water, but no more than 1 tsp.,
> > usually less.
> >
> > K.
>
>
> I dont think I could taste a teaspoon of salt in a gallon of water.
>
> I also add about a handful of salt to about a gallon of water. I do
> have small hands, and it works for me.
> -bwg

Sorry. :-)
I've just become very sensitive to the taste of salt now, and I used to
be seriouslty addicted to it.

I can't even eat bacon, nor most luncheon meats and some cheeses!
They just taste too salty to me now.

It's been amazing to me how you truly lose your taste for salt when you
make a real effort to eat low sodium for awhile... You can start tasting
the difference within about 2 weeks, and it gets more noticable from
there.

K.

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> wrote in message
...
> In rec.food.cooking, cristina <siena_us(REMOVE BEFORE >
wrote:
>
> > Pasta cooking 101
>
> > Bring water to a boil in a large pot, at least 3 litres of water.
> > Add a good handful of sea salt.
>
> A handful!? Really?

Really! I would guess that my handful is about 1/3 cup kosher salt.

Charlie

"Charles Gifford" > wrote in
link.net:

>
> > wrote in message
> ...
>> In rec.food.cooking, cristina <siena_us(REMOVE BEFORE
>> >
> wrote:
>>
>> > Pasta cooking 101
>>
>> > Bring water to a boil in a large pot, at least 3 litres of water.
>> > Add a good handful of sea salt.
>>
>> A handful!? Really?
>
> Really! I would guess that my handful is about 1/3 cup kosher salt.
>
> Charlie
>
>
>

Charlie? Are you suggesting that 1/3 cup salt in 3 litres of water is
right? That would mean that the large pasta pot I use would need over a cup
of salt. That seems excessive to me. I'm thinking more like 1/3 to 1/2 cup
kosher salt to the 12 quart pasta pot which is 3/4 full of water (9 qts.).
--
Once during Prohibition I was forced to live for days on nothing but food
and water.
--------
FIELDS, W. C.

"hahabogus" > wrote in message
...
> "Charles Gifford" > wrote in
> link.net:
>
> >
> > > wrote in message
> > ...
> >> In rec.food.cooking, cristina <siena_us(REMOVE BEFORE
> >> >
> > wrote:
> >>
> >> > Pasta cooking 101
> >>
> >> > Bring water to a boil in a large pot, at least 3 litres of water.
> >> > Add a good handful of sea salt.
> >>
> >> A handful!? Really?
> >
> > Really! I would guess that my handful is about 1/3 cup kosher salt.
> >
> > Charlie
> >
> >
> >
>
> Charlie? Are you suggesting that 1/3 cup salt in 3 litres of water is
> right? That would mean that the large pasta pot I use would need over a
cup
> of salt. That seems excessive to me. I'm thinking more like 1/3 to 1/2 cup
> kosher salt to the 12 quart pasta pot which is 3/4 full of water (9 qts.).

I'm not good with numbers Alan. I use about 1/3 cup in the 6 qt. pot I use.

Charlie

"cristina" <siena_us(REMOVE BEFORE > wrote in message
...
> John Gaughan wrote:
> Normally I boil it until al dente, rinse in hot water, and toss
> > in olive oil.
>
>
> Pasta cooking 101
>
> Bring water to a boil in a large pot, at least 3 litres of water.
> Add a good handful of sea salt.
> Add pasta and cook for about a minute less than the recommended time,
> stirring occaisionally.
> In a seperate pan, cook your sauce.
> When the pasta is done, drain lightly (you want some of the water) but do
> not throw away all of the water

The only pastas I drain very well are hollow types. Some hollow pastas can
hold a large amount of water which stays in the hole. I don't like that.

> Add pasta to the sauce in the sauce pan
> Stir well, add a ladle or so of the pasta cooking water and stir again

For me, the addition of pasta water depends on the sauce and the condition
of the pasta (if I overcooked it or not!)

> Let the pasta cook for a minute to absorb the flavor of the sauce.
> Plate and serve.
>
> Cristina in Italy

Excellent advice.

Charlie

On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 02:32:16 -0600, John Gaughan
> wrote:

>I tried whole wheat pasta the other day. My wife and I both think it
>tastes good, but it does not hold sauce well. Most likely this is due to
>the fact that it has less starch, which helps bond sauce to the pasta.
>
>Is this true of all whole wheat pasta? What brands do you guys
>recommend? Any cooking tips, should I cook it differently than normal
>pasta? Normally I boil it until al dente, rinse in hot water, and toss
>in olive oil.

Try different brands. Having said that, I don't have any problem with
home-made whole wheat pasta, so I can't recommend any particular
brand.

You might try a ridged whole wheat pasta shape.

Also, finish the pasta as christina suggests by cooking it for a few
minutes in the sauce.

Just in case you're doing this: remember, a plate of plain pasta
topped with a dollop of sauce makes a pretty picture for advertising,
but that's not the way pasta should really be served. Add the sauce
to the pasta before serving and don't add too much!

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

"John Gaughan" > wrote in message
...
> I tried whole wheat pasta the other day. My wife and I both think it
> tastes good, but it does not hold sauce well. Most likely this is due to
> the fact that it has less starch, which helps bond sauce to the pasta.
>
> Is this true of all whole wheat pasta? What brands do you guys
> recommend? Any cooking tips, should I cook it differently than normal
> pasta? Normally I boil it until al dente, rinse in hot water, and toss
> in olive oil.
>
> --
> John Gaughan
> http://www.johngaughan.net/
>

Try skipping the rinsing and the olive oil, that will help some. Unless the
olive oil is your sauce! Rinsing will wash away what starch there is, and
that will cause your sauce not to stick at all. If you use enough water to
boil it in, you don't need to rinse it anyway.
I don't recall the name of the brand we use, unfortunately, but I can tell
you we get it at the Italian deli in Little Italy and it's imported from
Italy. It's better than the brands we tried from the grocery store and holds
up better for leftovers.

kimberly

"John Gaughan" > wrote in message
...
> I tried whole wheat pasta the other day. My wife and I both think it
> tastes good, but it does not hold sauce well. Most likely this is due to
> the fact that it has less starch, which helps bond sauce to the pasta.
>
> Is this true of all whole wheat pasta? What brands do you guys
> recommend? Any cooking tips, should I cook it differently than normal
> pasta? Normally I boil it until al dente, rinse in hot water, and toss
> in olive oil.
>
> --
> John Gaughan
> http://www.johngaughan.net/
>

Trader Joe's sells a whole wheat penne which I find very satisfying.
Currently (at least in Los Angeles) they are not selling, because, according
to the manager I asked there, they are going through a standard nutritional
evaluation (never heard of that before, but I hope the label is still valid
because, in addition to [or because of] the value of the fiber, you get
about a 1/3 more pasta for the caloric equivalent of non-whole wheat [half
wheat?]). In the absence of the penne, the linguini is fine; I have a
personal preference for the penne. I cook the penne about 8 minutes and the
linguini for 5 because of their relative densities. It's cheap, too, a buck
for a pound, whereas Whole Foods sells their house brand of whole wheat
pasta for 2.29.

While I'm getting the pasta ready (about a 15 minute process, all in), I
brown a little ground turkey with garlic, onion and parsley then remove and
stir up some more onion, garlic and diced vegetables du jour -- I like
julienne eggplant (pre-baked and split,at 350 for an hour, then pre-cooled)
mushrooms and maybe some peppers adding whatever spice I'm in the mood for.
Simmer in about a cup of tomato sauce (thinned w/water as needed), a little
red wine and about a tablespoon of tomato paste, returning the browned meat
and then a few more pinches of fresh minced parsley for color on the final
serve (and maybe a little sugar). Yum. Did it last night, in fact.

"John Gaughan" > wrote in message
...
> I tried whole wheat pasta the other day. My wife and I both think it
> tastes good, but it does not hold sauce well. Most likely this is due to
> the fact that it has less starch, which helps bond sauce to the pasta.
>
> Is this true of all whole wheat pasta? What brands do you guys
> recommend? Any cooking tips, should I cook it differently than normal
> pasta? Normally I boil it until al dente, rinse in hot water, and toss
> in olive oil.
>
> --

No need to rinse. Do not toss with oil unless you are using an oil-based
sauce (and then just toss with the sauce). I think the best technique is to
toss the pasta with the sauce immediately after draining and then let it sit
a bit to absorb flavors. You can add more sauce to individual servings at
the table if desired. The common technique - in America at least - of
putting plain pasta on a plate and then putting the sauce on top doe snot
work nearly as well.

BTW we use DeCecco whole wheat pasta and think it is the best of several
brands we have tried.


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

John Gaughan wrote:

> I tried whole wheat pasta the other day. My wife and I both think it
> tastes good, but it does not hold sauce well. Most likely this is due to
> the fact that it has less starch, which helps bond sauce to the pasta.
>
> Is this true of all whole wheat pasta? What brands do you guys
> recommend? Any cooking tips, should I cook it differently than normal
> pasta? Normally I boil it until al dente, rinse in hot water, and toss
> in olive oil.

Talking about one pound of pasta. Boil, drain, DON'T RINSE, toss with
about 2 tablespoons butter so it doesn't stick together (drop the
butter into the pot you cooked the pasta in; it'll still be warm
enough to melt the butter quickly). Sauce at service on the plates.
That way, the rest of the pasta (if any) can be used for other dishes
with no regard for the sauce used for the first presentation.

Butter will leave a surface better able to accept and hold sauce than
oil will. Rinsing removes the surface starch that would
(ever-so-slightly) thicken sauce that touches the pasta. 20% of butter
is water and that helps retain the surface starch.

Pastorio

"Bob (this one)" > wrote in message
...
> John Gaughan wrote:
>
> > I tried whole wheat pasta the other day. My wife and I both think it
> > tastes good, but it does not hold sauce well. Most likely this is due to
> > the fact that it has less starch, which helps bond sauce to the pasta.
> >
> > Is this true of all whole wheat pasta? What brands do you guys
> > recommend? Any cooking tips, should I cook it differently than normal
> > pasta? Normally I boil it until al dente, rinse in hot water, and toss
> > in olive oil.
>
> Talking about one pound of pasta. Boil, drain, DON'T RINSE, toss with
> about 2 tablespoons butter so it doesn't stick together (drop the
> butter into the pot you cooked the pasta in; it'll still be warm
> enough to melt the butter quickly). Sauce at service on the plates.
> That way, the rest of the pasta (if any) can be used for other dishes
> with no regard for the sauce used for the first presentation.
>
> Butter will leave a surface better able to accept and hold sauce than
> oil will. Rinsing removes the surface starch that would
> (ever-so-slightly) thicken sauce that touches the pasta. 20% of butter
> is water and that helps retain the surface starch.
>
> Pastorio
>
This ignores the fact that the taste of butter is incompatible with many
sauces. Also, it seems unwise to compromise tonight's dish in order to have
unsauced pasta for tomorrow.


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

In article > ,
"Peter Aitken" > wrote:

> "Bob (this one)" > wrote in message
> ...
> > John Gaughan wrote:
> >
> > > I tried whole wheat pasta the other day. My wife and I both think it
> > > tastes good, but it does not hold sauce well. Most likely this is due to
> > > the fact that it has less starch, which helps bond sauce to the pasta.
> > >
> > > Is this true of all whole wheat pasta? What brands do you guys
> > > recommend? Any cooking tips, should I cook it differently than normal
> > > pasta? Normally I boil it until al dente, rinse in hot water, and toss
> > > in olive oil.
> >
> > Talking about one pound of pasta. Boil, drain, DON'T RINSE, toss with
> > about 2 tablespoons butter so it doesn't stick together (drop the
> > butter into the pot you cooked the pasta in; it'll still be warm
> > enough to melt the butter quickly). Sauce at service on the plates.
> > That way, the rest of the pasta (if any) can be used for other dishes
> > with no regard for the sauce used for the first presentation.
> >
> > Butter will leave a surface better able to accept and hold sauce than
> > oil will. Rinsing removes the surface starch that would
> > (ever-so-slightly) thicken sauce that touches the pasta. 20% of butter
> > is water and that helps retain the surface starch.
> >
> > Pastorio
> >
> This ignores the fact that the taste of butter is incompatible with many
> sauces.

Oh? What sauces are incompatible with the flavor of butter, especially
such a tiny amount?

Not being argumentative, just curious. I _love_ butter and can't think
of any sauces off the top of my head that it would not work with. Even
Marinara.

I've always used Olive oil for my pasta, but had planned to try this.
I only use corn or rice pasta since I'm allergic to wheat.

> Also, it seems unwise to compromise tonight's dish in order to have
> unsauced pasta for tomorrow.

That I have to agree with... I'd personally never cook more pasta than I
had sauce to go with, and my mom always added the pre-cooked pasta to
the sauce in a pan prior to serving, and I also like it that way.

Different tastes for different folks tho'. :-)

K.

--
Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

>,,<Cat's Haven Hobby Farm>,,<Katra at centurytel dot net>,,<
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

Katra wrote:

> In article > ,
> "Peter Aitken" > wrote:
>
>
>>"Bob (this one)" > wrote in message
...
>>
>>>John Gaughan wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>I tried whole wheat pasta the other day. My wife and I both think it
>>>>tastes good, but it does not hold sauce well. Most likely this is due to
>>>>the fact that it has less starch, which helps bond sauce to the pasta.
>>>>
>>>>Is this true of all whole wheat pasta? What brands do you guys
>>>>recommend? Any cooking tips, should I cook it differently than normal
>>>>pasta? Normally I boil it until al dente, rinse in hot water, and toss
>>>>in olive oil.
>>>
>>>Talking about one pound of pasta. Boil, drain, DON'T RINSE, toss with
>>>about 2 tablespoons butter so it doesn't stick together (drop the
>>>butter into the pot you cooked the pasta in; it'll still be warm
>>>enough to melt the butter quickly). Sauce at service on the plates.
>>>That way, the rest of the pasta (if any) can be used for other dishes
>>>with no regard for the sauce used for the first presentation.
>>>
>>>Butter will leave a surface better able to accept and hold sauce than
>>>oil will. Rinsing removes the surface starch that would
>>>(ever-so-slightly) thicken sauce that touches the pasta. 20% of butter
>>>is water and that helps retain the surface starch.
>>>
>>>Pastorio
>>>
>>
>>This ignores the fact that the taste of butter is incompatible with many
>>sauces.
>
> Oh? What sauces are incompatible with the flavor of butter, especially
> such a tiny amount?
>
> Not being argumentative, just curious. I _love_ butter and can't think
> of any sauces off the top of my head that it would not work with. Even
> Marinara.

Marinara finished with a dab of butter swirled and stirred through at
the last minute will have a richer mouthfeel and a more subtle flavor.

> I've always used Olive oil for my pasta, but had planned to try this.
> I only use corn or rice pasta since I'm allergic to wheat.
>
>>Also, it seems unwise to compromise tonight's dish in order to have
>>unsauced pasta for tomorrow.
>
> That I have to agree with... I'd personally never cook more pasta than I
> had sauce to go with, and my mom always added the pre-cooked pasta to
> the sauce in a pan prior to serving, and I also like it that way.
>
> Different tastes for different folks tho'. :-)

Pasta cooked al dente and finished with butter like that will hold
very well refrigerated dry and covered. Reheat by dropping it into hot
(not boiling) water for maybe 30 seconds and finish as usual. You'll
be surprised. Or heat a sauce and drop the cold pasta in for a minute
or two. Serve.

Do it all the time at home.

Pastorio

In article >,
"Bob (this one)" > wrote:

> Katra wrote:
>
> > In article > ,
> > "Peter Aitken" > wrote:
<snipped for brevity>
> >
> >>Also, it seems unwise to compromise tonight's dish in order to have
> >>unsauced pasta for tomorrow.
> >
> > That I have to agree with... I'd personally never cook more pasta than I
> > had sauce to go with, and my mom always added the pre-cooked pasta to
> > the sauce in a pan prior to serving, and I also like it that way.
> >
> > Different tastes for different folks tho'. :-)
>
> Pasta cooked al dente and finished with butter like that will hold
> very well refrigerated dry and covered. Reheat by dropping it into hot
> (not boiling) water for maybe 30 seconds and finish as usual. You'll
> be surprised. Or heat a sauce and drop the cold pasta in for a minute
> or two. Serve.
>
> Do it all the time at home.
>
> Pastorio
>

Sounds good. :-)

Any hints on any special prep for the alternative (wheat free) pastas?
DeBohls corn pasta is easier to cook and tends to stay firmer than the
rice pasta. The rice can get a bit tricky on the timing.

The corn elbow noodles are wunnerful.

K.

--
Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

>,,<Cat's Haven Hobby Farm>,,<Katra at centurytel dot net>,,<
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

In rec.food.cooking, Katra > wrote:

> Oh? What sauces are incompatible with the flavor of butter, especially
> such a tiny amount?

Personally, I can't think of ANYTHING that is incompatible with butter.


--
....I'm an air-conditioned gypsy...

- The Who