Fresh or boxed, frozen or pre-packaged "fresh", we all have our preference.
I came across some neat facts about pasta and noodles and thought I would share.
We could all use a little enlightening.
- Pasta comes in many different colors and over 600 shapes
- Most pasta is cream colored, but some is colored using vegetables. Spinach for green, tomato for red, etc.
- There is a type of pasta called "cellophane" because it turns clear when cooked
- The average person in Italy eats 51 lbs of pasta a year! The average person in North America eats about 15.5 lbs of pasta a year.
- The difference between pasta and noodles? Noodles contain eggs, pasta does not!
How to make the perfect pot of pasta:
1. Fill a large stockpot with water.
2. Add salt
3. Bring the water to a roiling boil
4. Measure the pasta you need (pasta usually doubles in size when cooked, so 1 cup=2 cups cooked)
5. Slowly add the pasta to the boiling water
6. Stir to separate and keep it from sticking
7. Start timing when the water returns to a boil
8. Most pastas cook in 8-12 minutes, make sure to read package directions.
9. Taste the pasta to see if it's done. It should be "al dente"- firm, yet tender
10. Drain the pasta into a colander.
11. Only rinse if you are using the pasta in a cold dish. Rinsing removes the starch, which holds the sauce when served hot.
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