General Cooking Instructions
- Bring large pot of salted water to boil.
- Do not break the pasta
- Cook the pasta until very al dente, which is about 2-3 minutes earlier than what the package reads for cooking time.
- Remove the pasta with a slotted spoon, Chinese spider, or tongs – depending on the shape of the pasta – and add to your pan of sauce and cook for the additional 2 minutes, stirring so the pasta is coated. You can add a ladle of hot pasta water to adjust the consistency and taste of the sauce.
- Turn off the heat and add the grated cheese and any fresh herbs called for in the recipe.
- Serve HOT!
Pasta and Noodles 101
Salting Your Pasta/Noodle Water: My general rule for salting pasta water is to add 1 to 1 ½ tablespoon of kosher salt to 6 quarts of water in a large pot. If you use iodized salt, use less.
Cooking Rice Noodles: Rice noodles are more delicate than the wheat pasta that I ate as a small child, but I love them! To cook rice noodles, bring 3-4 quarts of water to a boil in a 6-8 quarter pan over high heat. I rinse the rice noodles first in a bowl of cold water and then add them to the pot. Add the rice noodles and stir to separate. Cook until barely tender to the bite for about 2- 3 minutes. Drain and use immediately.
