Let's take a look at pasta. It is a complex carbohydrate that provides as much energy as pure protein. It's easy to digest and provides a long-lasting feeling of satisfaction. And it has few calories.
In buying dried pasta, examine the label to be certain that the pasta has been produced with semolina. Pasta made with all or part farina, the coarsely ground endosperm of any wheat except durum, should be avoided because it will turn pasty during boiling. When cooked, good pasta can swell to nearly three times its size and it has a slightly nutty, sweet flavor.
For cooking pasta, two rules apply: Use a lot of boiling water and be sure not to overcook it. While almost all cooked pasta recipes call for salting the water, the quantity is left up to the cook. Bear in mind that salt is highly diluted when adequate water is used and a relatively small amount of salt is absorbed by the pasta. Leave it out entirely and the pasta will be insipid unless coupled with an intensely flavored sauce. Adding lemon juice in the water makes a fairly good substitute for salt.
Pasta is easy to cook, yet too often it emerges soggy and sticky. You only need to take a few steps to ensure perfectly cooked pasta every time:
Port Royal resident Ervena Faulkner is a retired educator who has always had an interest in food and nutrition. Email her at features@beaufortgazette.com.
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