Ever grabbed a forkful Tagliolini or scampi at Assagio’s and wondered why it’s so much richer and more velvety than the stuff you try to cook at home? Sure, most add more butter, cream, or cheese-like you use in your kitchen. But they also rely on some smart cooking techniques to coax out the best possible texture from their pasta. At Assaggio we want to help you replicate our magic at home.
The formula for pasta seems obvious. Water + pasta = dinner — obviously? But sometimes the simplest things can be the trickiest.
1.Cook Your Pasta In A Big Pot
Choose a roomy pot that gives the pasta plenty of space to move around in. This means its time to give that eight-or 12-quart stockpot into action.
2.Don’t Cook The Pasta In Advance
Leave cooking your noodles before your sauce is done in the past. Do you then let drain in a colander? Please stop doing that. The starchy liquid that’s locked inside just-cooked pasta will work some serious cream magic when it’s absorbed right into hot sauce. We want you to avoid moisture evaporating, you want to avoid a drier, tougher dish.
3.Salt The Water
Salt is good! Give more than a single tap of the shaker — you want at least a tablespoon for 6 quarts of water. The salty water boosts the pasta’s flavor.
4. Save The Pasta Cooking Water.
Don’t pour all of the pasta water down the drain. Pasta releases starch into the water while it cooks—and that starchy liquid helps your sauce bind together. Having that extra starch, you can reduce the fat!
5. Add The Cheese At The End.
It’s tempting to add a final sprinkle of Parmesan in while your sauce, pasta, and pasta water are bubbling on the stove. You think it ensures the cheese melts and makes everything more creamy? It doesn’t. The intense heat will make the cheese separate, leaving the sauce oily instead of velvety and creamy. Instead, hang onto the cheese until your pasta and sauce are finished cooking. Then take the skillet off the heat and let it sit for 20 seconds, undisturbed, to allow the pasta to cool. Then add in the cheese.
We have given you the tools to be on your way to make the best pasta. Don’t feel like cooking? Enjoy our full pasta menu at your convenience. Come on down to the North End! See you at dinner!
