Spaghetti

[Clove]

Salt water also boils faster than unsalted. Or some say at a higher temperature.

Salt raises the boiling point of water by about 1 or 2 degrees. This means the water boils at 213 or 214 F. It takes longer to boil by about 10 or 15 seconds but cooks faster too (by about 10 or 15 seconds).

[Clove]

OK...so now I watch a few cooking shows. Every time I see someone preparing spaghetti I see them pull it directly from the pot with tongs and place it either in the plate or pan. My momma always poured it in a colander and rinsed it.

What do you all do?

In "real" kitchens, chefs use a form of a Pentola. An insert in a deep pot that has many perforations and handles. The insert holds the pasta while it is cooking and when it is ready to be added to the sauce. They use the handles to pull the pasta out of the salted water, it drains in the insert through the perforations. Then they can add it directly into the sauce.
In kitchens that serve many pasta courses throughout their service, there are special pots that have 3 or 4 semi-circular inserts that nest into a big pasta pot. When they are all inserted, they form a circle but each can hold 1 or 2 servings of pasta. You can cook them at different times. This is a big help in the professional kitchen.

[BerryBaby]

Clove:

I use one of those but never knew what it was called. This was my 'learn something new' for the day. Thanks!

BB

[Clove]

Clove:

I use one of those but never knew what it was called. This was my 'learn something new' for the day. Thanks!

BB

BB,

Which one do you use? The single home model or the heavy duty commercial one?
Do you cook for a large group (or family)?

I've seen the multi one used for pasta and vegatables, at the same time. Quick way to make "primavera".

[Chap]

Mom use to not only put oil and salt in the water and rinse it, but she also broke the spaghetti in half. I can't believe my mom taught me wrong.

I already disowned my dad because he didn't teach me how to make wine.

[Clove]

Mom use to not only put oil and salt in the water and rinse it, but she also broke the spaghetti in half. I can't believe my mom taught me wrong.

I already disowned my dad because he didn't teach me how to make wine.

Chap,

If you put oil into your cooking water, look at the water while the pasta is cooking.
The oil just sits on the top of the water like an oil slick. If you pour the pasta into a colander, all the water goes down the drain before it ever touches the pasta. What's the point?

If you use a pentola (or the like), the oil still sets on the top. When you lift the pentola out of the water, you get a bit of oil on the pasta and it prevents the sauce from adhering to the pasta when you finish the pasta by cooking it in the sauce for the last minute or two.

If you cook pasta in water with oil on top and then rinse the pasta after cooking it, not only do you lose the starch on the cooked pasta but you lose the oil too.

If you really want oil on your pasta, don't cook the oil, add extra virgin olive oil to the combined pasta and sauce off the heat and just as you are ready to serve it.

BTW don't be so tough on your Dad. He probably don't want you to grow up with purple feet.

[isilzha]

I've seen them use those to cook pasta on Hell's Kitchen.

[Clove]

I've seen them use those to cook pasta on Hell's Kitchen.

Yep!
They use them in restaurant kitchens all over the world.
The first time I saw one was in Camillo's in Florence Italy in the 1970's.
I remember thinking, "why didn't I invent that?"
Because it was in use before I was born?

[Food Network Fan]

Emeril has a version in his line made by all clad. Good stuff.

[BerryBaby]

Clove...

I use the home, single, version that looks like the one you have pictured. Only cook for two or us, sometimes three when our daughter is home...and of course, our puppy, but she doesn't eat that much.

BB