Save Time in the Kitchen - Cook Pasta the Way Restaurant Chefs Do
Have you ever wondered how a restaurant can get a dish of pasta to your table in about four minutes when you know it takes ten minutes just to cook the pasta? Does the water on their stoves boil at a higher temperature than the water on yours? Do they know a trick that you don't? As a matter of fact, they do.
They parboil, or partially pre-cook their pasta; so when an order comes in to the kitchen, a cook can turn out a dish of perfectly 'al dente' pasta in a minute or two. Pre-cooking is a worthwhile technique for home cooks, because it enables them to pull together a great sit-down meal in practically no time, no matter how busy their day may have been.
It's also a great method to use when you plan to serve pasta for a crowd. I once catered a party for fifty, where I had a "pasta bar." With the assistance of one helper, and two propane burners, I served fifty portions of freshly cooked pasta (al dente) without holding anyone up in the buffet line.
To parboil pasta at home, bring a large pot of salted water (at least six quarts) to the boil. Add one pound of pasta and stir until the pasta wilts (in the case of spaghetti or linguine) and becomes submerged. When the water returns to a full, rolling boil, cook the pasta for exactly two minutes, then drain, shock in ice water, and drain again. Note: Strand pasta like spaghetti or linguine will be brittle, so handle them with care.
Place the pasta in a container large enough to hold it, then add enough olive oil to just coat each strand. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Parboiled pasta will keep, refrigerated, for four to six hours.
Note: Coating pasta with olive oil flies in the face of conventional wisdom that says, "Never coat pasta with olive oil. The sauce won't adhere to the pasta." Well, conventional wisdom aside, sauce sticks to parboiled pasta like glue. What else can I say?
When it's time to cook dinner, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add the pasta (You'll note that the pasta has softened over the time you've had it refrigerated. This is perfectly fine.), cook for one or two minutes, then drain in a colander. Be sure to taste after a minute or so. The pasta cooks quickly. Serve as you would any pasta that you had cooked for eight to ten minutes.
Again, this is a great, worthwhile technique to use at home, because you can parboil the pasta at a time of day when you're not juggling three or four other tasks, like preparing a sauce, or a salad. And when it's time to prepare the rest of dinner, you'll feel more confident in the outcome, because you can focus more of your attention on the other parts of the meal.
Try this technique once, and you could be hooked. You may not be serving fifty or sixty people per night, but you'll be cooking just like a chef in a neighborhood Italian restaurant.
About The Author
Skip Lombardi is the author of two cookbooks: "La Cucina dei Poveri: Recipes from my Sicilian Grandparents," and "Almost Italian: Recipes from America's Little Italys." He has been a Broadway musician, high-school math teacher, software engineer, and a fledgeling blogger. But he has never let any of those pursuits get in the way of his passion for cooking and eating. Visit his Web site to learn more about his cookbooks. http://www.skiplombardi.com or mailto:info@skiplombardi.com.
 Google News Updated : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 20:07:30 GMT "Bangkok" a skillful action excursion - Reuters
Reuters - By Stephen Farber LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Everything is relative in the realm of hyperviolent movies, and compared to this summer's other assassination thriller, "Wanted," "Bangkok Dangerous" is a model of restraint and moral rectitude. 'Dangerous' prosperous at box office An Assassin Arrives to Turn Off the Lights Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 04:41:52 GMT Buckeyes survive Ohio's threat, 26-14 - The Associated Press
The Associated Press - COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Beanie Wells didn't play. The Ohio Bobcats sure did. Lightly regarded even in the Mid-American Conference, Ohio put a scare into No. Ohio State Football: OSU 26, OU 14 Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:31:47 GMT Journals week in review: news from One Microsoft Way - Ars Technica
Ars Technica - By Emil Protalinski | Published: September 06, 2008 - 01:15PM CT First Gates-Seinfeld ad leaves us scratching our heads. The first Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates ad has arrived. Seinfeld ads only part of Microsoft push Windows Vista: The OS About Nothing Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:27:03 GMT 'Wrestler' brings Venice fest to its feet - Hollywood Reporter
Hollywood Reporter - By Eric J. Lyman VENICE -- "The Wrestler" was the toast of the Lido on the Venice Film Festival's penultimate day, with star Mickey Rourke's interpretation of an aging wrestler struggling to come to terms with the end of his career creating a buzz that ... 'The Wrestler' wins Venice Film Fest top award Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler. Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:14:35 GMT Boeing Machinists Take To Picket Line After Talks Collapse - CNNMoney.com
CNNMoney.com - NEW YORK (AFP)-- Boeing machinists took to the picket line on Saturday as they launched a strike that has halted production and could cost the US aerospace giant more than $100 million per day. Low strike pay could limit length of Boeing work stoppage Boeing machinists walk off the job Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:46:08 GMT Obama, McCain to Honor Victims of 9/11 Together - Voice of America
Voice of America - By VOA News US presidential candidates Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain have agreed to appear together on September 11, the seventh anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Conventions, Anything but Dull, Are a TV Hit  Comment by John S. Baick Professor of History, Western New England CollegePubl.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:01:14 GMT McCain, Obama battle over economy, leadership - AFP
AFP - COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (AFP) - Economic issues dominated the campaign trail Saturday as presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and John McCain battled over who could best lead the nation in troubled times. Reuters Politics Summary Barack Obama, John McCain say they hate meddlers ... but both ... Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:15:37 GMT Amazon RSS Feeds |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... Nothing is more frustrating than trying to cook a delicious... Read More Baking cookies seem to fill the house with a sense... Read More Are you wondering if you have the time to bake... Read More Ahhh?the noble crescent roll. In some forms it has its... Read More Do you helplessly stand at the meat counter looking from... Read More How many of you remember dad trying to get the... Read More Garlic, there's nothing like the smell of garlic. It's great... Read More Microwave ovens do have benefits. They are certainly convenient. They... Read More The best way to decide what you need in your... Read More Dutch ovens were made for baking. In the hands of... Read More You're standing at the gas grill in the hot sun,... Read More We really like fresh bread while we're camping. There is... Read More Ten Proven Tips to buy the Best Meat AvailableAs you... Read More Fresh, uncooked veggies are so healthy and it's important to... Read More Types of digital thermometers & their culinary uses.Thermocouple:Of all food... Read More As one of the oldest children in a family of... Read More Have you ever wanted to buy new cookware but didn't... Read More Clarified butter is a delightfully rich concentrated butter that can... Read More Okay, you've either gotten married or are planning to pretty... Read More If you find leftovers boring, uninviting or downright "yuck," then... Read More High altitude baking can be a real adventure for the... Read More A popular method of cooking chicken in recent years both... Read More The most difficult task of a picnic is remembering everything.... Read More Pioneer CookingWhen you think of a cast iron Dutch oven,... Read More There's a lot of bread in our freezer. In our... Read More
Adsense
websites
Season Your Pans for Non Stick Cooking
The Joys of Refrigerator Cookies
Little-known Tips for Easy Holiday Baking
The Noble Crescent Roll - How to Roll a Masterpiece
The Best-Kept Secrets of Beef Revealed! Get Ready to Become the Meat Expert in Your Family!
Outdoor Chefs Choose Gas Grills
Garlic: A Quick Guide
Microwave Ovens and the Healthfulness of Microwaved Food
What You Need in a Gourmet Kitchen
Baking Bread in a Dutch Oven
Grilling Tips ? Safety Comes First at the Barbecue
Bread in the Woods
Ten Proven Tips to Buy the Best Meat Available
How To Eat Fresh Vegetables ? Ideas for Working More Veggies Into Your Diet
Digital Thermometers
Once-A-Month-Cooking: How to Make Your Plan Work
Cookware ? Whats In It?
Clarifying Butter
10 Dishes Every New Bride or Groom Must Know How to Make!
Two for One Dinners: Eggplant
High Altitude Baking - A Cooks Guide
The Almighty Beer-Can Chicken
Picnic Tips and Tricks
Dutch Oven Cooking Basics
Baking Bread and Your Freezer
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
Substitutions for Commonly Called for Ingredients
What should you do if you are in the middle... Read More
Bacteria and Food-borne Diseases
Types of BacteriaBacteria are all around us, in the air,... Read More
Homemade Whipped Cream
Most grocery stores carry cans of whipping cream ready to... Read More
The Art of the Marinade
It's a sad fact that these days it has become... Read More
Old-Fashioned Taffy Pull Party--How to Host Your Own
Want a unique party idea for your child's birthday-or even... Read More
Baking Bread and Your Freezer
There's a lot of bread in our freezer. In our... Read More
Perfect Picnics - Frugal Food Safety Tips
Summer is finally here and for a lot of us... Read More
What is Gluten and Why does it Matter?
Gluten is a substance made up of the proteins found... Read More
The Barbecue Pit
The barbecue pit has been around since 1920,s and it... Read More
Fine Tuning Bread Machine Mixes
Sometimes bread machines can be tricky. We were trying to... Read More
Two for One Dinners: Eggplant
If you find leftovers boring, uninviting or downright "yuck," then... Read More
The Perfect Omelet(te), How to Cook It
Omelet(te)sThey're easy to cook, right?We'll see.The first thing to remember... Read More
Barbecue for You
In may just be in human nature to barbecue. Well,... Read More
The Perfect Scone: Keys to Make Your Scone Just Right
Ah, there's nothing like a tender, steaming scone in the... Read More
Buying, Storing, and Preparing Apricots
When buying apricots, always look for those that are firm,... Read More
10 Smoky Tips To BBQ Food Safely
Cooking outdoors was once only a summer activity shared with... Read More
How to Bake: How Long Should My Bread Rise?
It depends. The best way to tell if the dough... Read More
Baking Bread in a Dutch Oven
Dutch ovens were made for baking. In the hands of... Read More
The Joys of Refrigerator Cookies
Baking cookies seem to fill the house with a sense... Read More
Seasoning An Oven
Untreated cast iron rusts, especially around water. To prevent metal... Read More
Using Bread Machine Mixes in Your Oven
You don't have to own a bread machine to enjoy... Read More
Buying, Storing, and Preparing Apples
When buying apples, look for those that are firm and... Read More
Don?t Poke the Chicken at Your Backyard Barbecue
You might be planning a home remodeling project and it... Read More
How to Cook Rice Right
The easiest way to make rice well every time is... Read More
Digital Kitchen Timers ? Never Burn Another Dish
Digital kitchen timers come in many shapes and sizes. Timers... Read More
Cooking Tips |