To Build a Better Pasta
Posted by Nirav | Filed under Food
Often, when you consider making pasta, you think of simply slapping microwaved marinara sauce onto boiled noodles. However, there are a lot of easy and simple ways to make the typical pasta a lot better and tastier. I’m going to go through what I did to create my Better Pasta.
Flavor Your Marinara Sauce
It’s no secret that I love spicy food, but this direction is often overlooked when cooking marinara sauce. Find some sort of sauce that interests you, and put it in a pot on the stove (it’s worth the extra time to not microwave the sauce). Add in a bit of pepper and some hot sauce (choose whatever kind you’re a fan of). Keep it subtle; if you’ve done it right, you should be able to taste an extra kick in the sauce, but it should never be overpowering: you want tomato sauce, not habanero salsa.
Another flavor to go for is mildly sweet, or you can try a more creamy consistency. Protip: Vodka sauce is a good starter for both of these, and is a refreshing change from “straight” tomato sauce; you can also try adding a bit of soymilk or cream.
Add Middlecooking
A fun way to change a recipe is to drop something in the middle of it. In this case, what I’ve done is sautée peppered portabella mushrooms (yes, again) with diced tomatoes and chopped lettuce (but don’t leave the latter two in too long or they’ll wither away), and I slid this portion in between the noodles and the sauce: i.e., noodles, vegetables, sauce on top.
Salt
Add salt to your pasta while it’s boiling; that’s the only time that the salt will get absorbed.
Plate Well
Don’t overlook plating, even if you’re just cooking for yourself. If you spend a few extra minutes making your dish look nice, it can really make a difference in the experience of eating. You’ve spent your own time and energy in making the food; why stop short at the end? Obviously, this isn’t a pasta-specific tip.
Experiment
And finally, have fun with it. Experiment with ingredients that intrigue you; find ways to work nontraditional elements into your dish. Enjoy!