Pasta cooking methods: all techniques

There are different methods of cooking pasta, from the most traditional to the most particular. Let’s discover them together to bring some innovation to the kitchen.

If you’ve always thought that the only way to cook pasta was to boil it in salted water, this article will open up a fantastic new world for you. We have already pointed out several times how only changing the pasta format can “ennoble” the dish, imagine if it is the pasta cooking methods that change. In the microwave, in the oven, passive cooking, in a pressure cooker, refreshed, burned: These are all the techniques you can experiment with, in addition to that boiledto cook pasta.

Pasta cooking methods

Basically the pasta always goes cooked in a salty liquid, be it water or broth. What varies are the cooking times, the pots and pans as well as the result. Let’s start with the simplest and gradually delve into the various techniques for cooking pasta.

boiled

Preparing a plate of pasta for Italians is a common practice. It is not necessary to give precise indications on the proportions between water and salt because we have it in our blood. Boiled pasta, to have one al dente cookingit should be lowered starting from boiling water and cooked for the time indicated on the package.

Once ready and drained, the sauce is added by sautéing it in the pan and then distributing it on the plates. Easy right?

Pressure cooker pasta

The next step is to cook the pasta in a pressure cooker. This technique has recently been literally depopulated, thanks to the media attention that has rained on it thanks to Michelle Obama. Sure, the idea might make you turn up your nose, but the fact that it is possible halve cooking times makes it ideal not only for saving energy but also for concentrating nutrients in the cooking liquid.

In fact, pasta cooked in a pressure cooker often comes cooked together with other ingredients, in the wake of the One Pot Pasta that we will see shortly. Nothing new though: it’s a technique that has always been used on boats to save water and gas.

One Pot Pasta

We remain in the pot cooking category with the One Pot Pasta (or One Pan Pasta, the difference is only made by the cooking container, pot in the first case, pan in the second). This innovative technique comes directly from the United States and consists of cooking the pasta together in a pan with all the ingredients of the sauce. The water is added all at once and then brought to a boil, continuing to cook over medium heat until it is absorbed. THE cooking times are the same of boiled pasta.

Risotto pasta

Similar to the previous one, the restored pasta provides for the addition of a boiling liquid a little at a time, just like you usually do with risotto. Chefs recommend blanch it for 1/4 of the time indicated on the package before proceeding with the last phase. Furthermore, they suggest using long formats for a more creamy and blended texture.

An evolution of the restored pasta is the burnt dough. In this case the raw pasta is toasted in a pan together with a choice of fat and cooked by adding boiling liquid a little at a time. At the end it should be reduced until it starts to burn.

Passive cooking of pasta

Back in vogue in recent times due to the cost of energy, passive cooking was actually invented by chef Davide Scabin. In essence, salted water is brought to the boil, the pasta is dipped and then 1 minute of cooking is calculated from the resumption of the boil.

At this point, put the lid on, turn it off and leave it to “cook” for the time indicated on the package. The result? An al dente pasta with a perfect consistency.

Microwave pasta

If you decide to choose this technique because you are in a hurry, know that cooking times for pasta in the microwave are longer than for boiling. In fact, water and pasta must be placed in a special container and then put in the oven for 3-4 minutes more than indicated on the packaging.

Baked pasta

We are not talking about the classic lasagna, but more about a technique that allows you to cook the pasta, starting from raw, along with all the other ingredients. THE cooking times are half as long compared to what is indicated on the package and the ideal would be to have a combined steam oven to prevent the pasta from drying out too much during cooking. Be careful then to insert the right amount of liquids or it will remain raw!

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