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The
Beauty of Italian Pasta
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Discover the beautiful Italian
pasta dishes and learn how to prepare tasteful meals
by using our easy to prepare recipes and countless possibilities of pasta.
The Italians
invented pasta and have been enjoying it since the days of ancient Rome.
Buon Appetito!
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How to Cook Perfect Pasta
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Use between
4 and 5 quarts
of boiling water for every pound of dry pasta.
Add 2 tsp. of salt
to every gallon
of water you are using and bring water to a rolling boil. Always add pasta
in small quantities to keep the water rolling boil. Start stiring with
a wooden spoon immediately after adding the pasta
to the water, to stop it sticking to the bottom of the cooking pan and
keep stiring occasionally during cooking to prevent sticking.
Never cover
the pan and always follow the package directions for cooking times. Taste
the pasta
to determine if it is done.
Perfect boiled
pasta is cooked "al dente", which means "to the tooth" or firm to the
bite, but cooked through.
Drain cooked pasta immediatelly
to stop the cooking action and do not rinse unless the recipe says to do
so.
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Browse Recipes:
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 Fettuccine
Gnocchi
Lasagna
Linguini
Macaroni
Penne
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Spaghetti
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Other
Pasta
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Did You Know?
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At first, dry pasta was a luxury item in Italy because of high labor
costs, durum wheat semolina had to be kneaded for a long time. Only
after the industrial revolution in Naples, when a mechanical die process
allowed for large scale production of dry pasta, did it become
affordable and popular among the common people.
Fresh pastas do not expand in size after cooking, therefore, one and a
half pounds of pasta are needed to serve 4 people generously.
Good pasta can be recognized by its bright amber color which means it has been cooked to perfection.
The better the pasta, the less it tends to stick together. If your pasta
turns into a ball in the strainer, it is a potential sign of poor
quality pasta.
You can always tell good pasta by how much chewing it requires. The more you need to chew, the better the pasta.
Quality pasta has a subtle nutty flavour to it.
Quality pasta has a matte finish with a consistent look.
There are several health benefits to consuming pasta, especially whole
wheat pasta. Whole wheat are low in calories and contains considerable
amounts of minerals including, magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium,
zinc, selenium and manganese. |
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Recommended Products |
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Helpful Pasta Tips
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Never leave the
pasta
sitting in the warm water as it will continue to cook.
If you are cooking
pasta for cold salads
or you are not going to use pasta immediately, drain and rinse pasta with
cold water and toss lightly with vegetable oil to prevent pasta
from sticking and drying out.
When you are cooking fresh pasta, some cooks suggest to add a teaspoon
of olive oil in the cooking water, to prevent pasta from sticking. Others
don't think this advice is a good idea, because oil coats the surface of
the pasta, affecting its abiliti to absorb the sauce. Let your own instincts
guide you however, just remember that in life and cooking there is always
some exception that proves the rule.
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The
FIGS TABLE: MORE THAN 100 RECIPES FOR PIZZAS, PASTAS, SALADS, AND DESSERTS
by Todd English, Sally Sampson
At Figs, which was voted Best
Italian Restaurant by USA Today and cited by Boston magazine and Zagat's
as having the best pizza in Boston, there's something for everyone in the
family, from Macaroni Simoni for the kids, Portobello
Mushrooms, to Mushroom Purée, and Fontina Cheese Pizza for more
sophisticated palates. And no one will turn down a taste of the White-Chocolate
Challah Pudding with Caramel Sauce.
Simple or complex, sweet or savory,
any dish from The Figs Table makes any meal special. |
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![An Invitation to Italian Cooking [Hardcover]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/511HR-s8tjL._SL500_AA300_.jpg "An Invitation to Italian Cooking [Hardcover]")
