NEVER BOIL PASTA AGAIN!
It is not necessary to hold your pasta water at a rolling boil to cook it. You don’t even need to keep the pot on the heat. The pasta will cook just fine if you take the pasta off the burner as soon as you add the pasta to the boiling water, cover it immediately, stir once or twice during the first minute, cover again, and leave it to sit for the recommended cooking time. Just make sure your water is at a rolling boil when you add the pasta, and your kitchen is at normal room temperature. In a cooler kitchen the pasta might take a minute or two longer to reach the proper texture.
This is such a convenient way to cook pasta. No accidental boil-overs. No steaming up the kitchen. And if you put the pasta on an insulating pad you can move it off the stove, and give yourself extra burner space. I prefer the texture of the pasta cooked in this manner. It seems smoother, cleaner. And, my glasses don’t fog up from the steam.
This method of cooking pasta is a boon for hikers and camper as you use less fuel. If you stir your pasta frequently you can use also lot less water using this “boil and hold” method.
You don’t have to stop boiling your pasta, but it’s nice to know you have the option.
BON APPETIT
