Sandra Piddock
Guru
Do you find your dried pasta ends up either so solid you could crack your teeth on it or so soggy you hardly taste it on the way down? I found this simple cooking method on the back of a pack of pasta years ago, and it produces great pasta every time, whether it's spaghetti, penne, farfalle, or any of the other funny named ones.
Just bring a large pan of water to the boil, adding salt if required, and a little olive or sunflower oil. Now add the pasta, give it a stir, turn the heat off, and fit a tight lid. Leave for 10 minutes, then drain for perfect pasta. If you're late eating, it won't cook any more, but you may want to rinse it with some boiling water if it's stood for more than 20 minutes, just to reheat it a little.
You can use this method for egg noodles or vermicelli as well - just halve the standing time to 5 minutes.
Just bring a large pan of water to the boil, adding salt if required, and a little olive or sunflower oil. Now add the pasta, give it a stir, turn the heat off, and fit a tight lid. Leave for 10 minutes, then drain for perfect pasta. If you're late eating, it won't cook any more, but you may want to rinse it with some boiling water if it's stood for more than 20 minutes, just to reheat it a little.
You can use this method for egg noodles or vermicelli as well - just halve the standing time to 5 minutes.