Why Toasting Your Uncooked Pasta Is a Really Great Idea (and How to Do It)
Tips for making good pasta are everywhere. We collect them just as eagerly as we used to gather our Pokémon cards and Didl stickers. But I’ve now come across a truly special tip: toast your pasta before cooking it. Wait, what?! As in… dry-fry it in the pan? That’s right!
The tips we’ve discovered so far are mainly about preparing pasta as simply and deliciously as possible. For example: how do you cook your pasta perfectly al dente? How do you reheat it? And, of course, what dishes do you ultimately make with it? From the ideal pasta salad to the best pasta pesto of your life, we’ve seen it all. But the pasta itself—the dry pasta from the packet—we never really did anything exciting with. Until now.
Huh? Toast pasta?
Toasting your uncooked pasta sounds a little like a strange step in the process. Why would you do that? You simply cook your pasta al dente, right? Wouldn’t that mean you can’t taste anything from the toasting anymore? Wrong! Toasting actually gives your pasta a much deeper flavor. A little nutty, you could say. In short, it takes your pasta dish to a higher level. It also puts the pasta itself even more in the spotlight. It deserves that, no matter how incredibly delicious your sauce is!
How to toast your pasta
You can toast your pasta in several ways:
- In the oven: spread the uncooked pasta over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Toast the pasta for about 10 minutes in an oven preheated to 175 degrees.
- In the microwave: place the uncooked pasta in a microwave-safe bowl, together with 2 tablespoons of oil, and toast for 3 to 5 minutes at 50% power. Stir several times in between. The pasta is ready when it starts to look slightly toasted and charred.
- In a pan: spread your uncooked pasta over a high-sided skillet, together with 2 tablespoons of oil. Toast the pasta over medium-high heat, shaking the pan regularly. When the pasta starts to turn the color of peanut butter, it’s ready. This takes 5 to 10 minutes.
The most delicious pasta dishes
Of course, you’re not going to leave your toasted pasta bare and all alone. No, you’re going to make something wonderful with it. Perhaps Gordon Ramsay’s shrimp pasta? Or the still-popular penne à la vodka by Gigi Hadid? We are absolutely crazy about this super-simple pasta with just 4 ingredients. A sauce that, however simple it may be, has been crowned one of the very best in the world. Will you add it to your collection of pasta tips?
Also read:
- 9 tips from chefs for the best, simplest pasta
- 5 pasta rules for perfect pasta
- Italians furious, now at their fellow countrymen: this is not how you cook pasta??!!
Source: America’s Test Kitchen
