You've got to admit - pasta and macaroni have become as much a part of the list of our favourite snacks as any other Indian classics. From a cheesy white sauce pasta in a fancy restaurant to the masaledaar vegetable macaroni from street side vendor, we finish off both these plates with equal gusto in minutes. And, we are pretty sure you've tried making pasta at home at least 100 times by now. While some days you may surprise yourself with a restaurant-like dish, on other days, even a simple macaroni seems to be a disaster. Well, did you know that from the amount of salt in the boiling water to using oil, everything you choose to do even before you start cooking the sauce affects the quality of the dish too? Well if you didn't, you've come to the right place. Because here are some of the tips and tricks you should keep in mind so you can make the perfect pasta every single time.
(Also read : Cooking Tips: How To Make A Yummy Mixed Sauce Pasta At Home)
In her recent Instagram video, chef and content creator Sneha Singhi Upadhayay shares 7 tips and tricks you can use for the perfect pasta every single time.
Here are 7 tips for making perfect pasta:
1. Salt your pasta:
Start by boiling a pan full of water and add a good amount of salt. It is recommended to use salt in the cooking of pasta only once and that is at this stage. For example, you can use 1 tbsp of salt for 2.5 liters of water.
2. Do not use oil:
It is advised to not use any olive oil/neutral oil while boiling the pasta or once it's boiled. This will make the pasta noodles greasy and the sauce won't stick to them properly.
3. Drop the pasta in boiling water:
It is best to wait for the water to come to a rolling boil before you drop the pasta in. Once you dropped, lightly stir around so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan
4. Cook as instructed on the pasta packet:
Cook for exactly the amount of time mentioned on the pasta packet. Different companies make pasta with different ingredients and methods; just follow the cooking time given on the packet for best results.
5. Save some pasta water:
Once the pasta has been boiled, always save at least a cup of boiling water. Using this water while cooking will prevent the pasta from being too dry and make sure the sauce sticks to it properly.
6. Don't completely drain pasta:
When you are straining the pasta, try not to remove every single drop of water from it. Because if you do so and let it sit while you prepare the sauce, the pasta will cool off and the starch in it will make it stick together and clumpy.
7. Cook the pasta last:
Since boiling the pasta and storing the boiled pasta can make or break a dish, it's better you prepare the sauce before boiling the pasta. Doing that allows you to transfer freshly boiled pasta directly to the sauce, helping it to be perfectly moist and well coated in the sauce.
If you want to see the detailed video, here it is:
(Also read : Watch: The Secret To Making Restaurant-Style Creamy Cheesy Pasta (Recipe Inside))
We hope you have a great pasta-making session after this!