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A staple food, pasta is never lacking in our pantry. Whether it’s to garnish a solo meal tray in front of the TV or to delight our guests at a large table, it will always do the trick. As a bonus, it’s delicious, satisfying, and quick to prepare. Sure, it can be made in a thousand ways, but all depend on one essential step: cooking. And no, it’s not always child’s play! A lack of attention coupled with a few recurring mistakes, and your pasta is floury, sticky, and unpleasant to eat.
Cooking pasta perfectly al dente can be an art form. In fact, it’s even possible to think outside the box and cook it differently. For example, cooking your pasta without boiling it in water would be almost unimaginable, right? And yet, it’s just as good, if not better, than the pasta you’re used to. This little tip from Julie Andrieux is worth a look. Discover this preparation method revealed by the famous TV host and food critic Julie Andrieux.
Cook your pasta in its sauce!
Uncooked pasta –
Here’s an automatic gesture we all make: when we want to cook our spaghetti, we plunge it into a large pot of boiling salted water. To prevent the pasta from becoming sticky, it’s even recommended to add enough water, as it expands during cooking. After about ten minutes, it’s cooked and drained using a colander. This gesture is thus immutable and has been acquired since time immemorial. However, there is indeed another cooking method that you should experiment with. Thanks to the starch they contain and release, it’s possible to cook them differently.
Why waste too much water or various utensils when you can cook your pasta intelligently in a single pan? Sure, if you prefer to eat it “plain” with just a drizzle of olive oil or butter, the classic method is inevitable. But, since most pasta recipes are served with a tomato sauce or a good carbonara, you can take advantage of cooking it directly with the sauce. Simply dilute this sauce further with a little water and add your pasta. As the starch is released, the sauce will thicken at the same time. And apparently, according to Julie Andrieux, cooking pasta in a tomato or cream sauce offers a much better flavor than what you get with traditional cooking!
How to thicken a sauce that is too runny?
Thanks to the starch in pasta, there’s no need to thicken a thin sauce with flour. Especially since flour tends to make the sauce thicker. Simply stir the sauce regularly. If it becomes too thick, you can add a little water and reduce the heat to prevent the pasta from becoming too mushy. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring well to prevent it from sticking to the pan.
Top tip: Instead of flour, you can add a little milk to naturally thicken the sauce. It can also be used as a base for a cream sauce. Simply cook over low heat and stir frequently to prevent the milk from burning.
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