Pasta is always an easy-to-prepare and satisfying meal especially on those days when you are tired or have limited time for cooking your dinner. Although you may have been preparing this super meal for years, there is a high probability that you have been doing certain things the wrong way. There are lots of common mistakes that most people commit without even knowing it! Here are the top 5 common mistakes that most people tend to commit while preparing pasta.
You Aren’t Salting Your Water
The extra ingredient that will always make your pasta taste great like the one you enjoy in a pasta restaurant is salt. However, the number one mistake that most people make while preparing pasta is under-seasoning their water.
You need to season the water with salt, to enhance the flavor of your pasta. Don’t be worried if your water is somehow saltier since the pasta doesn’t absorb all the salt in the water. The purpose of the salt is simply to rough up the pasta to prevent it from being slimy.
You Are Adding Olive Oil to Your Cooking Water
The simple reason why you shouldn’t add oil to your cooking water is that it prevents the sauce from attaching to the pasta. Even if you decide to drain the water completely, your pasta will still retain a coat of oil which will prevent the sauce from sticking.
You Pour Sauce on Top of It
Have you seen those images on jars where someone is pouring sauce on top of pasta? This is completely wrong. If you want to serve sauced pasta, make sure that you add the pasta to a pan of sauce and let the cooking finish right there. The last few minutes of cooking are crucial since they ensure that your pasta absorbs more flavors. You can allow for the extra few minutes by undercooking the pasta a little bit.
You Are Rinsing Your Pasta After Cooking
Do not rinse the pasta after cooking since it makes it less delicious by washing away its flavors. Furthermore, rinsing washes away the starch that assists the sauce to cling to your pasta. Instead of rinsing, purchase a pot that has a basket insert which is the larger version of the pasta baskets used in a pasta restaurant and use it to drain the excess water.
You Are Using a Pot that Is Too Small
Always grab a larger pot even if it looks too big to you. The large pot should allow you to add more water and still provide sufficient space for the pasta to move around. The primary reason why you should use a larger pot is to allow the pasta to cook evenly in the water. The water temperature drops significantly if you are using a pot that isn’t large enough and even though the water will return to boil, the pasta becomes clumpy and mushy.
