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Questions tagged [pasta]

Questions about the make, manufacture, preparation, and cooking of all types of pasta, including traditional durum wheat, whole wheat, and gluten-free.

This tag covers Italian and American styles of pasta either made from wheat or intended to simulate the flavor/texture of traditional Italian wheat pasta. Similar products from other parts of the world, such as Japanese Soba or Udon, are more traditionally called "noodles" and should use the tag instead.

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Cooking pasta in the microwave

I have a microwave "pot" that I use for steaming vegetables. The instructions say it can also be used for cooking pasta, which seems sacrilege to me. Does anybody know if the result would be a good al dente pasta if cooked in the microwave? I'd…
apaderno
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How do I stop all the sauce from being absorbed and the pasta going soggy?

I have to make a pasta bake for 20 people take it to the meeting 6 hours before it will be reheated for dinner. How do I stop all the sauce from being absorbed and the pasta going soggy. Thanks everyone for your suggestions. As a trial I have made…
kerry
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How do I stop homemade Ravioli from going soggy? (storage issue)

Last week I made some Pumpkin Ravioli. The filling was a bit moist, but nothing excessive. The problem is, that obviously, I don't want to be stuffing ravioli immediately before they go into the pot. I would prefer to do it earlier in the day. I…
Chris Cudmore
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Can I preserve fresh potato gnocchi by drying it?

I have a lot of potatoes to use, and I am making a large batch of Gnocchi. I plan to freeze much of it, but I was wondering if it's also possible to dry the fresh Gnocchi and store in a sealed container at room temperature (as is done with other…
kevins
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Gnocchi - best fluffy technique

What is the best way to ensure prepared gnocchi is light and fluffy, not lumpy and soggy? I've seen tips saying to use more flour, to use less, to add ricotta cheese, to air dry...
faelady
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Do I need to cook the meat filling before stuffing ravioli?

I been making ravioli this past week (3 types, butternut squash, various fungi, and spinach for those interested). Now I'm onto the meat. Its a pork, beef, and veal mixture. My question is, do I need to cook the mixture before stuffing into the…
Tree77
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How to prevent Orecchiette from sticking to each other while cooking? How to separate in water?

This shape of pasta easily nests inside each other. A lot of times if you just pour it directly from the bag/box into boiling water, you will get stacks of them together. Once they are cooking this way it is a major endeavor to separate them. The…
milesmeow
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How to prepare gnocchi dough for mixed ingredients?

After reading a recent post on incorporating vegetables into gnocchi (and presumably of potato/flour based pastas), I tried my own mixture of veggies and it came out great. Here is where the consternation fits in - balancing the…
mfg
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Best way to measure Spaghetti/Linguini portions?

What's the best way to measure how much Spaghetti/Linguini is 1-portion. I know there are tools which basically measures the diameter of the bundle of dry spaghetti. But are there simpler tricks which don't require any tools?
notthetup
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Is there an authoritative source on whether salt affects pasta stickiness?

The Seasoned Advice answer to Why add salt to the water when cooking pasta? is that it makes the pasta less sticky by inhibiting starch gelatinization. This seems to be a controversial question, with lots of improperly sourced answers spreading. Is…
user4697
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Good salt:water ratio when boiling pasta

I have found that when adding salt just before adding pasta, that more is better. But how much is too much? What is a good ratio of salt to water when cooking pasta?
Jason P Sallinger
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Cooking pasta in a water boiler

A friend of mine cooks pasta in a modified electric water boiler which has been modified to keep going even after the water placed in it boils. What are some advantages and disadvantages of this method over placing the boiled water in a pot and…
Joselin Jocklingson
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Why does my homemade pasta stick to itself whilst cooking?

I make a fair amount of homemade pasta (Mostly Tagliatelle or Linguine), and I tend to cook it fresh, rather than drying it and cooking from dry; however, it tends to clump and stick together in the pan when cooking. What can I do to minimise this,…
Rowland Shaw
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Is It Possible to Make Elbow Pasta At Home?

I love making egg, semolina, and wheat pasta at home, but my home pasta maker (a KitchenAid attachment with a roller and two cutter blades) does only basic fettucini and spaghetti shapes plus whatever I cut the sheets to myself. Is it possible…
justkt
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What can I use as a replacement for ricotta or cottage cheese in a lasagna?

I really cannot take the texture of ricotta or cottage cheese in food, to the point where I will gag when it is in my mouth. However, most of the recipes I have seen for lasagna involve using one or the other. Is there something I can use as a…
user3058
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