Do I need to rinse pasta after cooking: cooking tips

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Pasta is a simple and at the same time versatile side dish, at different times helping out more than one bachelor who decided to diversify his table and cook pasta instead of dumplings, and the hostess who needs to quickly and satisfyingly feed a large family. Young housewives taking their first steps in the diverse world of cooking can sometimes be hesitant about rinsing pasta after cooking so that it doesn't stick together and look presentable.

Pasta is washed only in Russia?

Where did this tradition come from in Russia: to wash any kind of pasta? And why do many of the proposed recipes that contain pasta (as it is customary to call this product among Italians) necessarily have the line: "After cooking, the pasta must be washed"? At the very time whenmany countries enjoy the taste of unwashed al dente pasta, people from the former Soviet Union thoroughly rinse it several times under the tap. And after such a merciless and unpleasant procedure, they are also fried in a frying pan with butter. They don't question too much whether pasta needs to be rinsed after cooking. Grandparents did it, so it's supposed to be.

Where are the roots from

Let's find out where the roots of this tradition are. And why many people (especially of the Soviet and post-Soviet period) will answer the question of whether it is necessary to wash the pasta after cooking, in the affirmative. The thing is that in those days, pasta was introduced to the masses. The production of products was put on stream, and, in principle, these products were a cheap and accessible product for all segments of the population. Then the question of whether pasta should be rinsed after cooking was never asked. Everything was obvious: if the cooked pasta is not washed, then in the end you can get just a boiled lump of dough interspersed with former pasta.

If you don't wash it - don't eat it

Why did it happen? It's all the fault of low-grade flour. In order for such a product as vermicelli to be enough for everyone, all pasta was made from ordinary baking flour, who would understand its varieties? Such a product, even during cooking, released an excessive amount of starch, and the water (and with it the pasta) became cloudy and slippery. It immediately became clear why rinse pasta after cookingcold water - so that they cool down and do not "steam" to each other. Repeated washing helped to achieve a more acceptable result. And after this procedure, the pasta epic continued: someone fried them in oil, someone added them as a side dish to a cutlet or a piece of fish, and someone poured sugar, which would horrify more than one Italian.

Quality, hardwood

In our time, outlets are full of offers. Therefore, choosing better products is not difficult. Among the entire range, choose products from durum wheat. On the packaging of such pasta, it will be written: "From durum wheat." Although instead of this inscription there may be another: "Group A" - these products are much he althier and tastier than those made from other types of flour. In this case, you don’t have to wonder if the pasta is washed after cooking: the starch of these products is not released, the liquid remains transparent during cooking. Any extra rinsing will only spoil the taste and cool the pasta. Moreover, rinsing removes some of the beneficial fibers from products.

To make finished products more beautiful and tastier, you can add one tablespoon of unflavoured vegetable oil. Oil can be poured directly into boiled s alted water before pasta (good quality) is dipped in it.

"Group B" and "Group C"

Of course, the price category of real quality pasta will not be low. Good pasta and not worth ittoo cheap. They are by no means a bachelor's dish or a product with which you can eat almost everything. Real pasta is gourmet food.

In addition to "group A" there is also "group B" - such a product is produced from soft varieties of high vitreous wheat. A pack of such products costs less, but the quality, respectively, is an order of magnitude lower. And after cooking, these products will need to be washed in order to remove the upper, slightly gelatinous layer.

But there is also a "group B" semi-finished product - these products are made from ordinary baking flour. Naturally, they are very boiled soft, they do not have a very pleasant taste, and it will be better when, having seen such pasta on the shelf, you pass them by. Even repeated washing of finished products is not able to save them from gluing and boiling.

How to rinse pasta after cooking

Turbid water must be immediately drained from finished products. The fact is that, leaving cooked products in hot water for a minute, we are at great risk: the semi-finished product will simply be digested (steamed out). By removing the hot environment from the pasta, we prevent this possibility. Then we place the cooked products in a colander. Substitute under a strong stream of cold water and rinse for one minute. Now we return the pasta to the pan again and add a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil that does not have flavor so that they remain crumbly and do not stick together.

How to cook pasta

Individual instructions for cooking the product are always on its packaging. Do not forget that there are a great many types of pasta. However, we can remember the main rules of cooking.

Products are always cooked in plenty of water. The dishes in which it is supposed to cook products should be spacious enough. Do not forget that the semi-finished product increases slightly during cooking.

S alt should be added to water only after it boils - this is what experts advise, and we will not argue with them.

Products are poured into boiling s alt water. After all the pasta is in the aquatic environment, they must be stirred immediately to prevent the product from sticking to the bottom of the dish and so that they are evenly covered with boiling water.

Cover the pot, but don't move away from it! The water will soon boil again, and then you must definitely remove the lid. Readiness is checked with a fork - we pierce the product. If there is a white flour layer inside, continue to cook the pasta over moderate heat. A more detailed time for each type of product must be indicated on their packaging.

Drain the finished pasta, add a spoonful of vegetable oil, mix. You can start tasting. Bon appetit!