Pasta Made Simple

That title is so misleading, because you don't need to do anything to make pasta simple. It is simply one of the simplest things you can make! And it's so versatile; you can make it light, hearty, basic, or fancy, for any occasion. So make friends with pasta!

To cook pasta (the normal store-bought dried kind) you need only water. And salt, if you're not restricting your sodium. Start with a large pot of cold water, about 2/3 full to leave room for the noodles. (If you are making a pasta dish for 3-4 people, you'll want at least a large saucepan and about 1/2 lb of pasta. But you'll figure the sizes out pretty fast.) Add some salt, a pinch to a spoonful, depending on how salty you like your food and the size of your pot.

Turn the pot on HIGH, put on a lid (this just speeds up the boiling), and wait for the water to come to a full rolling boil. We're talking really big bubbles rolling and breaking constantly!

Now you can add your noodles. Add them all at once and stir them up a bit so they don't stick into one big clump. DON'T put the lid back on! Set your timer for the lowest amount of time on the pasta box.

Give the pot of boiling noodles (yes, leave it on HIGH) a stir every few minutes to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pot and each other. When the timer goes off, fish out one noodle to test. Folk lore has it that if the pasta is cooked just right, a noodle flung against the wall will stick. If you want noodles all over your wall, go ahead; but it's easier, in my opinion, to just stick the noodle in your mouth (as soon as it's remotely cool enough) and see if it feels right. It should have just the slightest bit of resistance to your teeth, with no hardness. Keep in mind that if you will be soaking the noodles in anything for any length of time (ie. pasta salad) they will get softer, so it's important not to overcook!

If the pasta passes the bite test, go ahead and take it off the stove. Pour it into a colander and let it drain; if you'd like, you can rinse it. (Run water over the colander of pasta while stirring; hot for hot dishes, cold for cold salads. This removes any excess starch on the outside and is absolutely not essential.)

There you are! Put the pasta in a bowl and add the sauce of your choice, or, if you like your noodles separate, a splash or two of oil to keep the noodles from sticking together. (If you haven't noticed, pasta is just edible glue.)

Your options are limitless! Traditional tomato sauces, white sauces, butter and oil, cheese sauce, any meat, seafood, or poultry, your vegetable(s) of choice, cheese - all go great with pasta. For cold salads go creamy or vinaigrette and add whatever munchies - steamed vegetables, bits of meat , cheese, and egg, anything pickled - you like.

The possibilities are endless! I've even heard of people using pasta for dessert...