From penne to fusilli and macaroni, there are a plenty of pastas that we know today. These days, my snack doesn’t just consist of kachoris and samosas but pastas too. Although an Italian dish by origin, pasta has been a usual suspect for Sunday evening hunger pangs at my place. Indians have adapted to this foreign dish, sprucing it up with a whole lot of spices and making it their own to suit their taste buds. This reminds me of a recent incident that my friend shared with me.
He travelled overseas for higher studies a few months ago and has been living in a shared apartment since then. A few weeks back he spoke of a new flat mate who has joined him. The guy, who is of Columbian origin, told him that he’s doing an advanced course of culinary arts and loves exploring food. One fine day his flat mate returned from college while my friend was making macaroni for himself. Out of courtesy, he offered him some and the Columbian readily agreed to try it. Although my friend warned him that it would be spicy, the guy reassured him that he’ll be fine.
One bite in and the first words he uttered were, “Is that normal spicy for you”? Both of us laughed hard after he narrated this story. However, this brings me to the point that macaroni or any other pasta can be adapted to suit your tastes quite easily. But in order to cook it well, you need to know certain important things.
Here are a few tips and hacks that will come in handy.
1. Boiling The Macaroni
It is always recommended to add salt to the boiling water in which you are going to add the macaroni. You would need to add salt only at this stage of cooking. Avoid adding oil at all costs because it only makes the macaroni greasy and nothing else. This makes it difficult to stick the sauce to the pasta.
2. Cooking Al-Dente
Al-dente is the Italian for half-cooked. If you want your macaroni to be soft and easy to bite and not chewy and hard, it is best to cook your macaroni al-dente. This helps to keep the texture and taste of the macaroni just right. You can take it out in the last 10 minutes and toss it in cold water so that it doesn’t stick together.
3. Adding Pasta At The Right Time
Don’t pour in your macaroni right away into the pot of water. Let the water come to a boil and then add your macaroni to it. Stirring it every now and then would ensure it doesn’t stick to the vessel.
4. Pasta Water, What To Do?
Firstly, don’t drain the pasta of all its water. Let it remain a little damp because otherwise it would become lumpy once it cools down. Also, retain some of the pasta water. Add this to the macaroni while cooking because it not only enhances the taste of the macaroni but also prevents the macaroni from sticking.