How To Make Perfect Pasta

Want to know how to prepare linguini in an authentic Italian way? Read through this post to learn how to make the perfect pasta with Food Network’s chef Mario Batali. In this video, you will also get great cooking tips from Mario Batali himself in the kitchen.

This is a recipe for the perfect linguini dish that is inspired by the flavors of Rome. It is quick and easy to make with freshly crushed black pepper to give the pasta recipe a kick. The fra diavolo sauce Mario Batali is not complicated to make, it is just made from a combination of extra virgin olive oil, butter, pepper, and two types of grated sheep’s milk cheese called Cacio de Roma and Pecorino Romano.

Pasta is a traditional Italian cuisine and a staple food in Italy that originated since 1154 in Sicily. It is made from Durum wheat flour, water, as well as eggs, and is commonly cooked by boiling or baking. Pasta is generally a simple dish but can be cooked in a variety of ways due to its versatility. The number of sauces you can make for the pasta is endless because it works well with almost anything. It is flexible too and can be served as lunch, snack, or dinner.

This linguine recipe is very simple and basic. But don’t look down on its simplicity because even if it is simple, it is still truly delicious.

Watch Mario Batali reveal his secret pasta technique in this cooking video:

How To Cook Pasta Perfectly?

Boiling water with oil and spaghetti aside
young woman in a gray apron preparing pasta.

The formula for the pasta seems so obvious: Water + Pasta = Dinner. Sometimes the simpler recipes turn out to be complicated. As a result, the window of getting non-sticky, neither soft nor hard in the center, and perfect for making pasta is thin. Some people add salt to the water and then use cold water to rinse at the end. All these factors are considered to make perfect pasta.

Steps For Making Perfect Pasta

Below are the easiest tips for making the perfect pasta.

Use A Large Pot

Choose a roomy pot that gives the pasta plenty of room to move. Now is the perfect time to put that eight or 12-quart jar into action.

Load Up The Pot With Water

For a standard 16 oz. package of pasta, you need five to six gallons of water. If you are in a hurry and you want the water to boil quickly, then don’t use less water. As pasta needs a spacious pot, it needs a lot of water too. As a result, each strand of pasta submerges fully.

To quickly boil the water, put a lid on the pot but keep it partially uncovered. Leaving a gap prevents the water from spilling out before discharging it.

Salt The Water

Salt it well but don’t just squeeze the shaker. For 6 quarts of water, you need a tablespoon of salt.  Also, you can add 2 tablespoons of salt like professional chefs because it enhances the flavor of the pasta.

Boil The Water To Rolling Boil

Cooking raw spaghetti in boiling water
Cooking raw spaghetti in the boiling water contained in a saucepan. Italian cuisine. Raw food. interior of a domestic kitchen. Food preparation and cooking

Don’t let the hanger cause you to throw out the pasta when the water is simmering. You need a vigorous boil. Also, remember that the pasta will cool the temperature of the water once you drop it in the pot. As a result, you will have to put the lid back on to boil the water faster. By the second you hear the water boil again, remove the lid.

Stir Pasta To Avoid Sticking

Spaghettis on fork out of the pot
Yellow noodles or spaghetti cooking in boiling water pot with indoor low lighting.

Don’t step out of the stove to check your phone or to sit down to watch an episode of a season. Stay near the stove because you have to keep stirring the pasta two to three times to avoid sticking to the pot. Also, don’t let the strands clump together. They must be free, turn, and unimpeded.

Test The Pasta Two Minutes Before Its Ready

Check the packaging of the pasta for cooking times. Sometimes, the cooking time instructions given on the packing make it tricky for you. For example, regular dry spaghetti takes 5 to 7, 6-8, or 10-12 minutes. It depends on the package and the pasta. Talking about different variables, the cooking time of pasta can vary if you are cooking it at a high altitude.

To avoid any mistakes, start checking that the pasta is cooked between the given time range. Fish out the single strand of pasta with a pasta fork or pair of toothpicks. Make sure that the center is strong enough with a little crackle. Also, it should have an elastic rebound.

Save A Scoop Of Pasta Water

Once the pasta is perfectly cooked, take two seconds to do this little step. Before you drain the water, pour a cup or two into a Pyrex measuring cup or something that won’t crack. This starchy water can be used in sauces for pasta.

Drain, Toss With Sauce And Serve Hot

Place a colander in the kitchen sink and drain the pasta. Return the drained pasta to the pot and add the pasta water. It will help you to toss and coat the pasta well.

How To Fix Undercooked Pasta

Undercooked Pasta

If the pasta is undercooked, then put it back in the pot with saved cooking water. Add the sauce and cook it over medium heat for a minute or two. The sauce will bond with the pasta and create a new kind of delight.

Ingredients for Linguine with Cacio e Pepe

(Serves 6)

Kosher Salt

1/4 cup fresh coarsely ground black pepper

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1-pound dried linguini

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano plus extra for serving

1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano

Cooking Pasta Tips

The key to a delicious pasta is to remove the noodles from the boiling water before it is fully cooked and to continue cooking the noodles together with the sauce. But before adding the noodles, add some of the starchy pasta water into the sauce first. The pasta water has a little bit of starch which helps the sauce adhere to the pasta. Then cook the pasta noodles in the sauce mixture for the last 1-2 minutes adding more pasta water if necessary. It is important that there is enough moisture in the sauce and pasta mixture so that it emulsifies mixing them completely. Chef Mario Batali says this process is similar to coating a salad with dressing.

Using the right pasta pot is also important to boil pasta perfectly. A Pasta pot with strainer also helps to drain the water easily and quickly. However, if you are looking for the right pasta pot with strainer, check this recommended list on Cookware Ninja by Asma Sheikh.

Procedure:

In a large pot, add 3 tablespoons of kosher salt to 6 quarts of water and bring to a boil.

While waiting for the water to boil, set another large pot over medium heat. Add the coarsely ground pepper then toast and stir until fragrant for about 20 seconds. Next, add in the oil and butter stirring occasionally until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat.

Back to the other pot with boiling water, put the pasta in and cook just until al dente. Drain the pasta but reserve about a 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

Add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to the oil and butter sauce mixture, then add in the pasta. Mix the sauce and pasta completely by stirring and tossing over medium heat until the pasta is well coated.

Lastly, and in the cheeses and stir thoroughly. You may add a bit or two more of the reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Serve immediately with additional grated Parmigiano on the side.

This very simple pasta dish is so quick and easy to make and is made only with a handful of ingredients. It can be the base of a delicious dinner or lunch but you may also add shrimp, clams, or scallops to make it a complete meal.

For the complete recipe and cooking method, CLICK HERE!

Pasta – How To Cook Pasta Like A Pro

Everyone thinks that they know how to perfectly cook pasta but sometimes they are doing it wrong. You might be missing out on some cooking secrets to perfectly cook the pasta. From choosing the right pot for boiling the water to serving, every step matters. Also, make sure that you have chosen the perfect pasta for the recipe.

Several pasta perfection tips can help you to cook the best pasta for dinner. Make sure that you don’t add the oil to the pasta water. It is a false assumption that oil mixed in pasta water can keep the strands from clumping. If you add oil to the pasta water, then the pasta will be too slick for the sauce to stick. Try not to make pasta on assumptions but the perfection tips for perfect pasta.