Pearls & Pasta
{ 'un-recipe' below }
During our stay at home months I began sending emails about ‘What’s Going On’, along with family 'un-recipes'. The responses were touching, and made me feel good!
I’ve always wanted to connect my two loves, cooking and Marinella Jewelry. Who knew it would take a major unfortunate virus to make it happen.
Beauties, I bring you Pearls & Pasta.
If you know me I more than have affection for pearls, and who doesn’t like pasta?! It was a staple growing up. I don’t remember a meal, except liver and that’s another story, without it.
You can’t have good pasta without water. And, when prepped properly the water is pure gold and its uses are magical.
The brand of pasta, for me, is just as important!
Growing up I didn’t know how good I had it with my Nona making HOMEMADE pasta. She actually called it ‘maccheroni’, macaroni in English, even though her style was long fettuccine looking noodles.
I like DeCecco and Barilla brands best. Both hold up well in boiling water, have a tender yet firm bite and Barilla is a bit more forgiving if you're a walker away from your pot kind of cook.
PS - Don’t forget to leave a comment below because your comments make me feel popular!
Pasta Water Perfection 'Un-Recipe'
- Bring 5 quarts of water to a rolling boil
- Once boiling, add 2 tablespoons of kosher or sea salt. Please, don’t add oil!
- It’s time for the pasta! Remember to stir it occasionally so it doesn’t stick
- Check the pasta for the 'al dente moment' 3 minutes prior to the end of pasta cook time. Take a bite to be sure. Share a bite with your dog like I do
- Once pasta is al dente and ready to drain, scoop up a cup or two of that starchy magic water. This water can be added to the pasta to keep it from sticking once the pasta is back in the pot and / or added to the sauce to perfect its silky consistency
- Quickly drain the rest of the pasta water, but don’t rinse! Rinsing removes essential starches needed to help the sauce stick
Thank you for your blog. Fun to see you enjoy pasta everyday like me. I keep getting teased for how much I make spaghetti and meatballs but we love our pasta. Keep your cooking ideas coming. Your the best.
Yum! I am making meatballs for dinner tonight and will try the Pasta Water Perfection :) Thanks for sharing.