Kitchen Essential

Pasta

We believe that pasta may be the one and only reason why we’re still alive and kicking. When all else fails you can always boil some pasta and grate some cheese over it! Quick and easy.

Allow about 3 litres of water for 500 g of pasta, which is enough pasta for 4 to 6 people. Bring the water to the boil then add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon salt. (Adding oil is a cook’s preference; some say that it keeps the pasta from sticking together, others say this is a myth.) Slip all the pasta at once into the rapidly boiling water. Stir immediately to separate the pieces. Pasta cooks in 8 to 15 minutes, depending on the shape and quantity. Test periodically until cooked to your liking. It should be al dante, which means soft, but not ‘pap’.

When draining pasta into a colander have hot water running. Rinse with very hot water and serve immediately. Rinsing washes away the surface starch. Every kitchen should have a colander as it makes draining easy. However, if you don’t have one, use a plate to cover the pot while draining the water. This technique usually needs a second pair of hands for success, and carries with it a considerable risk of steam burn.

If you cook a lot of pasta, add one of those special pasta double cookers to your birthday wishlist. It’s safe, convenient and effective.

Pasta sauces

For all intents and purposes you shouldn’t have to make a pasta sauce from scratch — ever! The wide variety of ‘just add water‘, or even better, ‘just heat and serve’ sauces available makes pasta even more versatile. But just in case you want to show off, here are some from-scratch sauce recipes:

BOLOGNESE

Making Spaghetti Bolognese can turn into a social event in any kitchen. It’s one of those recipes that you can experiment with until you’ve worked out your own secret combinations. Just don’t get too tipsy while making it, or the winning recipe will remain a mystery even to you.

Sauté chopped onion and garlic in a little olive oil, heated in a large saucepan — just long enough for the flavour to be released. Stir in about 500 g mince. (This will make enough sauce for at least four people.)

Brown the mince. Mix about a third of a bottle of All Gold tomato sauce, half a cup of milk and about 3-4 tablespoons of Mrs Balls Chutney. Add this mixture to the mince and stir well. Turn down the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

If you want a more traditional Bolognese sauce you’d use canned, peeled plum tomatoes. You can now start playing with the recipe. Add wine, red or white, as it always lends a nice flavour to the sauce. Maybe try adding some mushrooms or green peppers. Anything goes!

ALFREDO

This is a rich, creamy sauce. Once again we’re giving you the basic recipe. Experiment, adding other ingredients to make it your own.

For 500 g of pasta, melt 60 g of butter in 250 ml of double cream. After you’ve boiled and drained your pasta, return it to the saucepan and toss it with 60 g of grated Parmesan cheese, off the heat. The cheese will melt slightly from the heat of the pasta. Return to the heat and pour over the melted butter and cream, tossing the pasta for 1-2 minutes. Season to taste. Try variations on the theme by adding ingredients such as bacon and mushrooms.

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