Save Time in the Kitchen - Cook Pasta the Way Restaurant Chefs Do

Have you ever wondered how a restaurant can get a dish of pasta to your table in about four minutes when you know it takes ten minutes just to cook the pasta? Does the water on their stoves boil at a higher temperature than the water on yours? Do they know a trick that you don't? As a matter of fact, they do.

They parboil, or partially pre-cook their pasta; so when an order comes in to the kitchen, a cook can turn out a dish of perfectly 'al dente' pasta in a minute or two. Pre-cooking is a worthwhile technique for home cooks, because it enables them to pull together a great sit-down meal in practically no time, no matter how busy their day may have been.

It's also a great method to use when you plan to serve pasta for a crowd. I once catered a party for fifty, where I had a "pasta bar." With the assistance of one helper, and two propane burners, I served fifty portions of freshly cooked pasta (al dente) without holding anyone up in the buffet line.

To parboil pasta at home, bring a large pot of salted water (at least six quarts) to the boil. Add one pound of pasta and stir until the pasta wilts (in the case of spaghetti or linguine) and becomes submerged. When the water returns to a full, rolling boil, cook the pasta for exactly two minutes, then drain, shock in ice water, and drain again. Note: Strand pasta like spaghetti or linguine will be brittle, so handle them with care.

Place the pasta in a container large enough to hold it, then add enough olive oil to just coat each strand. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Parboiled pasta will keep, refrigerated, for four to six hours.

Note: Coating pasta with olive oil flies in the face of conventional wisdom that says, "Never coat pasta with olive oil. The sauce won't adhere to the pasta." Well, conventional wisdom aside, sauce sticks to parboiled pasta like glue. What else can I say?

When it's time to cook dinner, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add the pasta (You'll note that the pasta has softened over the time you've had it refrigerated. This is perfectly fine.), cook for one or two minutes, then drain in a colander. Be sure to taste after a minute or so. The pasta cooks quickly. Serve as you would any pasta that you had cooked for eight to ten minutes.

Again, this is a great, worthwhile technique to use at home, because you can parboil the pasta at a time of day when you're not juggling three or four other tasks, like preparing a sauce, or a salad. And when it's time to prepare the rest of dinner, you'll feel more confident in the outcome, because you can focus more of your attention on the other parts of the meal.

Try this technique once, and you could be hooked. You may not be serving fifty or sixty people per night, but you'll be cooking just like a chef in a neighborhood Italian restaurant.

About The Author

Skip Lombardi is the author of two cookbooks: "La Cucina dei Poveri: Recipes from my Sicilian Grandparents," and "Almost Italian: Recipes from America's Little Italys." He has been a Broadway musician, high-school math teacher, software engineer, and a fledgeling blogger. But he has never let any of those pursuits get in the way of his passion for cooking and eating. Visit his Web site to learn more about his cookbooks. http://www.skiplombardi.com or mailto:info@skiplombardi.com.

---

Baking Bread and Your Freezer

There's a lot of bread in our freezer. In our... Read More

The Wonderful Wok: Stir Frying Basics

Want to enjoy the tantalizing taste of Asian food at... Read More

Picnic Checklist

In the previous article, we suggested that you start a... Read More

10 Deadly Bacteria That Can Get In Your Food (And How To Stop Them From Getting There)

Thousands of types of bacteria are naturally present in our... Read More

Homemade Whipped Cream

Most grocery stores carry cans of whipping cream ready to... Read More

How to Cook Rice Right

The easiest way to make rice well every time is... Read More

6 Steps to Grill the Perfect Steak

There's nothing better than a nicely grilled juicy steak.But how... Read More

Make-up or Mixing Methods for Muffins

When muffins aren't perfect, the first reaction is to change... Read More

Substitutions for Commonly Called for Ingredients

What should you do if you are in the middle... Read More

Save Money ? The Crock Way

Saving money ? is something we would all like to... Read More

Make It With Mint

It wouldn't be summer without fresh mint in pots on... Read More

What Are Scoville Units?

To understand what a Scoville Unit is, one must understand... Read More

10 Wide Open Tips For Food Safety In The Great Outdoors

Hiking, camping, and boating are good activities for active people... Read More

Eating Healthy with a Meat Grinder

While it may be surprising, owning your own meat grinder... Read More

6 Tips for Perfect Homemade Hard Candy

There's nothing better than the juicy, flavorful hard candy from... Read More

How to Make a Cajun Roux

The process of preparing Cajun food is in no way... Read More

Preparing Lobster Tails

Lobster, once the food of poor farmers, is now considered... Read More

The Perfect Omelet(te), How to Cook It

Omelet(te)sThey're easy to cook, right?We'll see.The first thing to remember... Read More

Vegetarian Cooking - Three Basics

For any of the many reasons people choose to eat... Read More

Hot Apple Pie - The American Apple Pie Legacy

While each country might have its own preferred style, "American... Read More

Pyrex Mixing Bowls ? A Kitchen Favorite

Pyrex mixing bowls typically come in sets of 3 with... Read More

Secrets of Great Breads

Often we field questions about making great bread. Great bread... Read More

Working with Eggs

Bad eggs are rare but they do occur. Crack eggs... Read More

The Barbecue Pit

The barbecue pit has been around since 1920,s and it... Read More

All About Baking: Quick Breads

The Versatile Quick BreadIt's no wonder quick breads are so... Read More

7 Things to Consider when Buying a BBQ

BBQ as we all know is an abbreviated form of... Read More

Old-Fashioned Taffy Pull Party--How to Host Your Own

Want a unique party idea for your child's birthday-or even... Read More

Kid Birthday Cake Idea Collection - Cake Decorating Without Fear

Our kid birthday cake idea collection makes cake decorating fun... Read More

Microwave Ovens and the Healthfulness of Microwaved Food

Microwave ovens do have benefits. They are certainly convenient. They... Read More

Cake Baking Tip Guide

Successful cake decorating is all about preparation. Baking and preparing... Read More

Once-A-Month-Cooking: How to Make Your Plan Work

As one of the oldest children in a family of... Read More

Flax Seed Will Add A Little Extra Flavor To Your Recipes

Flax seed will add a pleasant nutty taste to any... Read More

Understanding Baking: How Yeast Works

Did you ever wonder why flour tastes like sawdust but... Read More