Whole Wheat Pasta



In rec.food.cooking, Curly Sue <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >I do use a bit of salt in my boiling water, but no more than 1 tsp., usually less.

> At that level, why bother? Most of it goes down the drain anyway. :>

It raises the temperature of the water.

--
...I'm an air-conditioned gypsy...

- The Who
 
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> I tried whole wheat pasta the other day. My wife and I both think it tastes good, but it does not
> hold sauce well. Most likely this is due to the fact that it has less starch, which helps bond
> sauce to the pasta.
>
> Is this true of all whole wheat pasta? What brands do you guys recommend? Any cooking tips, should
> I cook it differently than normal pasta? Normally I boil it until al dente, rinse in hot water,
> and toss in olive oil.
>
> --
> John Gaughan http://www.johngaughan.net/ [email protected]
>
When using tomato sauce, don'to rinse or add oil first. You are removing the starch coating
that helps the tomato sauce to stick. If you want to add oil, do it after you toss the pasta
with the sauce.

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In article <[email protected]>,
"Bob (this one)" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Katra wrote:
>
> > In article <[email protected]>, "Bob (this one)" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >
> >>Katra wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>>In article <[email protected]>, "Peter Aitken"
> >>><[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> > <snipped for brevity>
> >
> >>>>Also, it seems unwise to compromise tonight's dish in order to have unsauced pasta for
> >>>>tomorrow.
> >>>
> >>>That I have to agree with... I'd personally never cook more pasta than I had sauce to go with,
> >>>and my mom always added the pre-cooked pasta to the sauce in a pan prior to serving, and I also
> >>>like it that way.
> >>>
> >>>Different tastes for different folks tho'. :)
> >>
> >>Pasta cooked al dente and finished with butter like that will hold very well refrigerated dry
> >>and covered. Reheat by dropping it into hot (not boiling) water for maybe 30 seconds and finish
> >>as usual. You'll be surprised. Or heat a sauce and drop the cold pasta in for a minute or two.
> >>Serve.
>
> > Sounds good. :)
> >
> > Any hints on any special prep for the alternative (wheat free) pastas? DeBohls corn pasta is
> > easier to cook and tends to stay firmer than the rice pasta. The rice can get a bit tricky on
> > the timing.
> >
> > The corn elbow noodles are wunnerful.
>
> I like the corn better, too. Texture of the rice pasta is off just enough that it's not what I
> want when I think pasta.

I agree. I don't usually get it anymore. If I want rice, well, just plain rice cooked in stock makes
a nice dish with a variety of applications. It's very versatile!

>
> You might want to look at some of the other pastas made from bean and other flours. Asian markets
> are usually treasure troves for such things.

Yes, they are... I just have trouble reading the oriental packages sometimes if they are not in
english. <G>

I just adore bean thread noodles and they go surprisingly well with marinara or a white seafood
sauce, or just plain cooked in bullion and served like ramen.

Spagetti squash, rinsed and drained, is also quite good with a good marinara sauce.

>
> I treat the wheat-free pastas the same as the durum-wheat types. But I do drain them more fully
> because it's my sense that they soften more if left too wet. Toss in melted butter and finish.
> I've generally served them with cream sauces (cream, roasted garlic puree, seasoned salt, reduced
> to 1/2) or meat glazes (with a wonderful venison ragout last time). Made baked elbows and cheese
> once with corn pasta and didn't really like it. The "bite" was wrong.

Not sure that corn pasta would be good baked. Was it tough? That'd be my guess as it tends to be
pretty firm. I like it as mac and cheese with sliced breakfast sausage. I do have some corn Lasagna
noodles in the cabinet that I've not played with yet.

>
> Also served them with butter and parmesan. Good enough that way, I think.
>
> Pastorio

That sounds good... :) I have a rock hard chunk of very aged parmesan cheese that I've been working
on for a couple of years now. I don't serve italian that often, but when I do, a little of that goes
a long way! <G>

K.

--
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>,,<Cat's Haven Hobby Farm>,,<Katra at centurytel dot net>,,<
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&include=0&userid=katra
 
"hahabogus" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Charles Gifford" <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:[email protected]:
>
> >
> > <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> >> In rec.food.cooking, cristina <siena_us(REMOVE BEFORE SENDING)@libero.it>
> > wrote:
> >>
> >> > Pasta cooking 101
> >>
> >> > Bring water to a boil in a large pot, at least 3 litres of water. Add a good handful of sea
> >> > salt.
> >>
> >> A handful!? Really?
> >
> > Really! I would guess that my handful is about 1/3 cup kosher salt.
> >
> > Charlie
> >
> >
> >
>
> Charlie? Are you suggesting that 1/3 cup salt in 3 litres of water is right? That would mean that
> the large pasta pot I use would need over a
cup
> of salt. That seems excessive to me. I'm thinking more like 1/3 to 1/2 cup kosher salt to the 12
> quart pasta pot which is 3/4 full of water (9 qts.).

I'm not good with numbers Alan. I use about 1/3 cup in the 6 qt. pot I use.

Charlie
 
"Charles Gifford" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

>
> "hahabogus" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>> "Charles Gifford" <[email protected]> wrote in
>> news:[email protected]:
>>
>> >
>> > <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>> >> In rec.food.cooking, cristina <siena_us(REMOVE BEFORE SENDING)@libero.it>
>> > wrote:
>> >>
>> >> > Pasta cooking 101
>> >>
>> >> > Bring water to a boil in a large pot, at least 3 litres of water. Add a good handful of sea
>> >> > salt.
>> >>
>> >> A handful!? Really?
>> >
>> > Really! I would guess that my handful is about 1/3 cup kosher salt.
>> >
>> > Charlie
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>> Charlie? Are you suggesting that 1/3 cup salt in 3 litres of water is right? That would mean that
>> the large pasta pot I use would need over a
> cup
>> of salt. That seems excessive to me. I'm thinking more like 1/3 to
>> 1/2 cup kosher salt to the 12 quart pasta pot which is 3/4 full of water (9 qts.).
>
> I'm not good with numbers Alan. I use about 1/3 cup in the 6 qt. pot I use.
>
> Charlie
>
>
>

Thanks Charlie. I trust your good taste in food . And I thought I was doing it wrong.

--
Once during Prohibition I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.
--------
FIELDS, W. C.
 
[email protected] wrote:

> In rec.food.cooking, Curly Sue <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>>I do use a bit of salt in my boiling water, but no more than 1 tsp., usually less.
>
>>At that level, why bother? Most of it goes down the drain anyway. :>
>
> It raises the temperature of the water.

Hardly.

But it is a seasoning. Trivial, but a seasoning.

Pastorio
 
"hahabogus" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Charles Gifford" <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:[email protected]:
>
> >
> > I'm not good with numbers Alan. I use about 1/3 cup in the 6 qt. pot I use.
> >
> > Charlie
>
> Thanks Charlie. I trust your good taste in food . And I thought I was
doing
> it wrong.

What a nice thing to say! Thank you. I really do have trouble with numbers. I can't even copy a
phone number with any accuracy. <sigh> Plays havock with my checkbook.

Charlie
 
"Bob (this one)" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> [email protected] wrote:
>
> > In rec.food.cooking, Curly Sue <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >>>I do use a bit of salt in my boiling water, but no more than 1 tsp., usually less.
> >
> >>At that level, why bother? Most of it goes down the drain anyway. :>
> >
> > It raises the temperature of the water.
>
> Hardly.
>
> But it is a seasoning. Trivial, but a seasoning.
>
> Pastorio
>

I have found it a good idea to use more salt when cooking pasta that will be dressed with an oil-
based sauce. Because salt does not dissolve in oil, the salt in the dish must come primarily from
the pasta and not the sauce.

--
Peter Aitken

Remove the **** from my email address before using.
 
Peter Aitken wrote:

> "Bob (this one)" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
>>[email protected] wrote:
>>
>>>In rec.food.cooking, Curly Sue <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>>>I do use a bit of salt in my boiling water, but no more than 1 tsp., usually less.
>>>
>>>>At that level, why bother? Most of it goes down the drain anyway. :>
>>>
>>>It raises the temperature of the water.
>>
>>Hardly. But it is a seasoning. Trivial, but a seasoning.
>>
>>Pastorio
>>
> I have found it a good idea to use more salt when cooking pasta that will be dressed with an oil-
> based sauce. Because salt does not dissolve in oil, the salt in the dish must come primarily from
> the pasta and not the sauce.

Forgive me if I find this a bit overfastidious. I cook pasta the same way irrespective of dressing
on it later. Even if I'm serving a classic oglio-aglio (oil and garlic) on the pasta, still the
same. Typically, parmesan cheese (or whichever kind I'm using for the dish) will make up any
shortfall in salt.

Pastorio
 
Bob (this one) wrote:
>Even if I'm serving a classic oglio-aglio (oil and garlic) on the pasta,

Just a little correction in case someone wants to Google it. It should be Aglio Olio (Garlic Oil)

Cristina
--
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Italy and Driving in Italy http://www.cristinasweb.com
 
Katra <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] wrote:
>
> > In rec.food.cooking, cristina <siena_us(REMOVE BEFORE SENDING)@libero.it> wrote:
> >
> > > Pasta cooking 101
>
> > > Bring water to a boil in a large pot, at least 3 litres of water. Add a good handful of sea
> > > salt.
> >
> > A handful!? Really?
>
>
> I questioned that as well... Been eating low sodium now for a long time, and that sounded _gross_.
>
> I do use a bit of salt in my boiling water, but no more than 1 tsp., usually less.
>
> K.

I dont think I could taste a teaspoon of salt in a gallon of water.

I also add about a handful of salt to about a gallon of water. I do have small hands, and it works
for me. -bwg
 
cristina wrote:
> Bob (this one) wrote:
>
>>Even if I'm serving a classic oglio-aglio (oil and garlic) on the pasta,
>
> Just a little correction in case someone wants to Google it. It should be Aglio Olio (Garlic Oil)

<LOL> Exactly correct...

In my grandmother's special way, she said things in ways no one else
did. Her dialect was called Furlan and she used to say "oio aio" Pronounced "oh-yo eye-oh."

Her recipe was very simple. About a dozen cloves of garlic, mashed and oil-poached in maybe a half
cup of good olive oil on low heat for about 10 minutes. She never let the garlic get the slightest
tinge of brown. Cooked the pasta, drained it and dropped it into the skillet with the oil. Tossed it
quickly and into a big bowl on the table. Salt and pepper, freshly grated cheese. Bread to mop up
the intensely flavored oil. Salad next with sharp, homemade red wine vinegar and oil (once in a
while with the garlic oil), occasionally an anchovy mashed in the vinaigrette. Cheeses to compete
the meal. Maybe a ripe pear or a handful of grapes. Coffee with a splash of Fernet Branca.

Sometimes she added a heaping tablespoon of dried red pepper flakes to both color and flavor the
oil. Got your whole attention.

Pastorio
 
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] (Barry Grau) wrote:

> Katra <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<KatraMungBean-
> [email protected]>...
> > In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] wrote:
> >
> > > In rec.food.cooking, cristina <siena_us(REMOVE BEFORE SENDING)@libero.it> wrote:
> > >
> > > > Pasta cooking 101
> >
> > > > Bring water to a boil in a large pot, at least 3 litres of water. Add a good handful of sea
> > > > salt.
> > >
> > > A handful!? Really?
> >
> >
> > I questioned that as well... Been eating low sodium now for a long time, and that sounded
> > _gross_.
> >
> > I do use a bit of salt in my boiling water, but no more than 1 tsp., usually less.
> >
> > K.
>
>
> I dont think I could taste a teaspoon of salt in a gallon of water.
>
> I also add about a handful of salt to about a gallon of water. I do have small hands, and it works
> for me. -bwg

Sorry. :) I've just become very sensitive to the taste of salt now, and I used to be seriouslty
addicted to it.

I can't even eat bacon, nor most luncheon meats and some cheeses! They just taste too salty
to me now.

It's been amazing to me how you truly lose your taste for salt when you make a real effort to eat
low sodium for awhile... You can start tasting the difference within about 2 weeks, and it gets more
noticable from there.

K.

--
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>,,<Cat's Haven Hobby Farm>,,<Katra at centurytel dot net>,,<
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