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Pasta Cooking Time

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Re: Pasta Cooking Time

#31

Post by foobarian »

kshahkshah wrote: post #10

The cooking time is proportional to the thickness. General advice on pasta: * a quality dry pasta (dececco e.g) will have ~14 grams of protein per 100 grams dry weight, this is really essential * bronze die cut will help soak up more sauces * you do not need the full volume of water the box says, but start your timer once the water has returned to a boil * once it has gotten to a boil, keep it boiling, but it doesn't…

> * heavily salt your water, but it does not need to be "salty like the ocean"

Speaking of, wonder if using seawater for cooking would have good results. Pasta or otherwise!

Re: Pasta Cooking Time

#32

Post by darkwater »

kshahkshah wrote: post #10

The cooking time is proportional to the thickness. General advice on pasta: * a quality dry pasta (dececco e.g) will have ~14 grams of protein per 100 grams dry weight, this is really essential * bronze die cut will help soak up more sauces * you do not need the full volume of water the box says, but start your timer once the water has returned to a boil * once it has gotten to a boil, keep it boiling, but it doesn't…

> you do not need the full volume of water the box says, but start your timer once the water has returned to a boil

I never do that, I start the timer as soon as I put the pasta in the water, and usually the cooking times on Italian brands are spot-on. If I have to finish the cooking in a pan (depending on the sauce) I take out 1m or 1m30s, and it's "al dente".

Re: Pasta Cooking Time

#33

Post by octo888 »

delta_p_delta_x wrote: post #14
notindexed wrote: post #6

You do not cook pasta by cooking time. “La pasta vuole compagnia” Pasta needs company! Never leave it alone, keep stiring once in a while and keep testing them. Best to drain it before you think it's "good" or al dente cause paste keeps cooking after beeing drained due to the heat and moisture/vapor. Also, most good pasta dishes get their final cooking in a large pan in the sauce with some cooking water. So usually y…

Don't know why this was downvoted. My best pasta comes from when I start testing it roughly 9 minutes in. Pasta softness depends on water softness, salinity, even ambient air pressure (though I am decidedly a low-lying person). Also pasta shape, and even quantity of pasta in the container (unless you have one of those huge boilers used in restaurants). The instructions on the box tend to overcook my pasta well beyond…

Isn't De Cecco pretty mid? It's found in every supermarket in the UK for example

Re: Pasta Cooking Time

#35

Post by codyb »

kshahkshah wrote: post #10

The cooking time is proportional to the thickness. General advice on pasta: * a quality dry pasta (dececco e.g) will have ~14 grams of protein per 100 grams dry weight, this is really essential * bronze die cut will help soak up more sauces * you do not need the full volume of water the box says, but start your timer once the water has returned to a boil * once it has gotten to a boil, keep it boiling, but it doesn't…

If you make pasta frequently, you can just reserve the pasta water on the stove and cook more pasta in it the next day. I usually just leave it out with a cover on, it's fine for a day, probably two.

For whole grain pastas I find this really helps get a more satisfying flavor and consistency.

Sometimes I'd put the whole pot in the fridge after it cooled to room temperature and it'd keep for a bit so I could use it for brown rice, or for more pasta later.

Finally, you can also use that water to water your plants because it has a ton of healthy nutrients in it, but you have to be really careful cause of the salt so I always water it down heavily and don't apply it as frequently as I have a pasta water that I'm going to drain.

Re: Pasta Cooking Time

#36

Post by llimllib »

krembo wrote: post #24
kshahkshah wrote: post #10

The cooking time is proportional to the thickness. General advice on pasta: * a quality dry pasta (dececco e.g) will have ~14 grams of protein per 100 grams dry weight, this is really essential * bronze die cut will help soak up more sauces * you do not need the full volume of water the box says, but start your timer once the water has returned to a boil * once it has gotten to a boil, keep it boiling, but it doesn't…

Pasta water being strachy is a good myth. It only happens in restaurants where they reuse the water all day long for many servings of pasta.

That water's _starchier_ but it's not a myth. Here's Kenji on it: https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-cook-pasta-salt-water-boi...

(I get what you're saying, spiritually, your pasta water from your giant pot of one box of pasta isn't gonna do much to thicken your sauce. But it's not a myth, just a matter of degree)

Re: Pasta Cooking Time

#37

Post by codyb »

krembo wrote: post #24
kshahkshah wrote: post #10

The cooking time is proportional to the thickness. General advice on pasta: * a quality dry pasta (dececco e.g) will have ~14 grams of protein per 100 grams dry weight, this is really essential * bronze die cut will help soak up more sauces * you do not need the full volume of water the box says, but start your timer once the water has returned to a boil * once it has gotten to a boil, keep it boiling, but it doesn't…

Pasta water being strachy is a good myth. It only happens in restaurants where they reuse the water all day long for many servings of pasta.

Can depend on the pasta too, and how much volume water to pasta you have.

Re: Pasta Cooking Time

#38

Post by ebiester »

krembo wrote: post #24
kshahkshah wrote: post #10

The cooking time is proportional to the thickness. General advice on pasta: * a quality dry pasta (dececco e.g) will have ~14 grams of protein per 100 grams dry weight, this is really essential * bronze die cut will help soak up more sauces * you do not need the full volume of water the box says, but start your timer once the water has returned to a boil * once it has gotten to a boil, keep it boiling, but it doesn't…

Pasta water being strachy is a good myth. It only happens in restaurants where they reuse the water all day long for many servings of pasta.

If you cook it in a lot less water, and add a quarter teaspoon of corn starch, you can get the same effect. Play with the ratios to taste.

Re: Pasta Cooking Time

#39

Post by afandian »

croisillon wrote: post #7
seeeeebt wrote: post #4

In the UK pasta instructions tend to be 9-11mins. 15mins is nuts, especially for the small cheap pasts he's using here. "More for your dollar". Yum!

maybe because the US water is not hot enough at 100 degrees

Yeah, 100 degrees in the US is barely 38°C.

Re: Pasta Cooking Time

#40

Post by foofoo12 »

Pasta is a bit like toast. It's undercooked for most of the time and only ready for a tiniest fraction of the time. The rest of the time it's overdone.

Although I heard a reason for the toast thing the other day. As it slowly toasts it gets a tiny bit darker. Once darker it doesn't reflect as much energy, hence absorbs it and result is exponential roasting levels.

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