Al dente pasta! It is something that one learns after more than just a few blunders. And please don’t blame your cooking skills for this, because even professional chefs around the world, have had their fair share of trouble, trying to master this seemingly effortless skill. However, you can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Just take a quick look at these amazing ideas to get that perfect al dente pasta, every single time.
1. The Classic Hit and Miss
As soon as the water starts getting a rolling boil, add salt as per your taste. Then add Penne Rigate or Pennoni Rigati, to the water. Taste the pasta after six to seven minutes. Thereafter, taste it every minute. If the pasta tastes chalky, it is not properly cooked yet. If it tastes just fine, then you’re there. You can also break a piece of pasta into two to check. In case the pasta isn’t ready yet, you’ll be able to see a white lining in the centre. If not, the pasta is done. All you need to do now is strain the excess water!
2. The ‘Did Granny Lie?’
Yes, despite how much granny or for that matter any chef has been telling you, pasta can be cooked in astonishingly small amounts of water. In fact, even a quart and a half is good enough for one large cup of pasta. As soon as the water comes to boil, add the pasta and let it simmer. Yes, again, no high flame required, and neither a hard boil. Just let your pasta be. Just make sure you keep stirring it for the first minute or two, at the very start. Ten to 12 minutes, and bam, your pasta is done. Pasta al dente! What’s more, the little amount of water will make the excess water a little starchy. And this will prove to be a great sticking agent for the sauce you are about to mix in! All in all, a total win-win situation!
3. The Working Women Bonanza
Now, what could be better than this? Cooking pasta in 60 seconds. As unbelievable as it sounds, this is in fact, a possibility. All you need is a little prep ahead of time. Take some dried Spirali Grandi pasta in a dish and pour cold water over it. Let it stay like this for about an hour and a half. When you are ready to cook, put some water to boil. Add generous quantity of salt, and then pour this water over the soaked pasta, and wait for 60 seconds. Drain out the excess water. And there you are, with your perfect al dente pasta in just a minute!
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