Musical Cats

Tuesday, May 30, 2006



I love to cook! I watch the Food Channel alot and my favorite show on the Food Channel is 30 minute meals with Rachael Ray! Here is a recipe from her website.

Pasta al Forno
Difficulty: Easy Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Yield: 4 servings




A recipe for you:
Always begin with a large pot: one that is deep, rather than wide, is preferable. If you're a pasta enthusiast, you may even want to invest in a pasta pot with a colander insert, so that all you have to do is lift up the colander insert and allow the water to drain back into the pot, saving you backaches and potential burns. Regardless of which pot you choose, use a lot of water. Pasta should literally be going for a nice swim. The pasta needs plenty of room to expand, and a pot with insufficient water will cause the pasta to become gummy. Before you even put the pasta in the water, though, wait for a full rolling boil, or your pasta will not cook properly.
Pasta should be cooked al dente, or "to the tooth." Checking the package directions for time will give you an idea about how long to cook your pasta, but most manufacturers actually overestimate the time. The best test is to take a piece of pasta out of the pot and chew. If the pasta gives a little, and is tender but not mushy, it is done.
You do not need to rinse cooked pasta. The white film of starch you see will actually help your sauce adhere. If you have leftover unsauced pasta, the best way to reheat it is to pour boiling water over the pasta and stir gently to get all the pieces separated.
While the pasta cooks, you can prepare your sauce. Fresh, simple sauces can be the best choice. In Italy the sauces complement, not overpower the pasta, so a little sauce can go a long way. Here are a few ideas for simple sauces that require very little time to prepare:
Agli Olio Sauce: Simply take 4 or 5 garlic cloves and sauté them in 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add 1 cup torn washed spinach leaves, cover the pan, and allow it to steam for 2 minutes. Toss with cooked linguine or spaghetti and season with salt and pepper. Prepared pesto sauces: To lower the fat content of the final dish, combine 2 tablespoons of prepared pesto with 3 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water and mix well. Toss with cooked pasta. Heat 1/2 cup canned spicy salsa, 1/2 cup black beans and 1/4 cup canned green chiles over medium heat for 5 minutes. Toss with cooked pasta.
Go to your supermarket salad bar and load up on fresh pre-cut vegetables. Sauté them in a little olive oil and toss with fresh cooked pasta. So enjoy a little pasta: it's easy, it's fast and it always tastes great!

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