Pasta tastes fantastic – when it’s made right. To create the perfect pasta, you should make sure to avoid common mistakes.
1. Salt: too much of it in the water
Simply seasoning according to “feel” is difficult for new cooks. It doesn’t help to hear: “Add as much as you think you need.” Especially because salt provides the flavor when cooking pasta. But how much is too much or too little?
There is a wonderful rule of thumb: 10-100-1,000That means: 10 grams of salt per 100 grams of pasta per 1,000 milliliters of water.
The Salt By the way, it doesn’t just add flavor. It also helps prevent the pasta from becoming slimy. Very, very important: the salt only goes into the boiling water.
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2. Not enough water
You may already have guessed: When it comes to the amount of water, the rule is – better too much than too little. Per 100 grams pasta you need 1 liter of water. The pasta must be completely covered with water.
So if in doubt, go for a larger pot. The reason is easy to explain: when the pasta is put into boiling water, the water temperature automatically drops slightly. This increases the cooking time. But if the ratio between the amount of water and the pasta is right, it works. Otherwise, the pasta will be mushy. Hardly anyone likes that.
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3. Pasta is unfortunately deterred
Plain and simple: freshly cooked pasta should not be rinsed. Firstly, this washes away the remaining starch, which acts as a sauce thickener, and secondly, the salt that adds flavor is also lost.
4. Secret ingredient: pasta water is immediately thrown away
Of course, we don’t keep the pasta water in a plastic container in the fridge forever. But it’s worth putting a few spoonfuls aside after cooking. The starch and salt add flavor and the starch also works in other recipes, for example as a sauce thickener.
5. Pasta and sauce: when should it be mixed?
Pasta that has been cooked al dente can still get a little softer. This means that it doesn’t do any harm if it simmers a little longer in the sauce. This way it absorbs the flavor of the sauce wonderfully. So – please note – the pasta sauce is not just a topping, it can do much more.
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