I Didn't Know That - Cooking Lasagna Noodles

Info from Lasagna Classic and Contemporary Favorites by Jack Bishop

There are several important things to remember when precooking noodles for lasagna.  Always boil noodles in an abundant quantity of water and stir frequently to prevent sticking.  One gallon of water is usually sufficient to cook 1 pound of noodles, but 5 quarts will really insure the noodles don't stick together. Do not add oil to water, this will make the noodles slick and difficult to retrieve but do add your salt for flavor.
(I've always added a little oil to all of my pasta to prevent it from sticking but I have noticed that not only will the oil make the pasta slick it will also prevent the sauce you're using from sticking to it.) 

Fresh noodles should be cooked four or five at a time for about 2 minutes.  It's very hard to taste large noodles, so rely on this time guide and remember that fresh noodles can easily be overcooked but are hard to under cook.  Use a large slotted spoon to retrieve noodles and transfer them to a bowl of ice-cold water.  After noodles have cooled (about 30 seconds), drain them and place on a clean kitchen towel to dry.  Repeat the process with remaining noodles.
(I have bought refrigerated "fresh" noodles at the grocery store but never knew they were to be cooked differently from dried.  I also never knew that they should be put in cold water.  I did know to lay them out after they've cooled but I normally use either a piece waxed paper.)

Dried lasagna noodles can be cooked all at once.  Cooking instructions for individual brands are a good guideline, but shave off 1 minute of cooking time.  Again, it's hard to taste large dried noodles as they cook.  If there are small scraps of broken pasta in the box, they can be retrieved from the pot and tasted to give you an idea of how the noodles are progressing.  When dried lasagna noodles are just beginning to become al dente, drain them in a colander and then transfer them to a large bowl of ice-cold water.  Drain again and place on a clean kitchen towel to dry.
(Again the cold water.  I normally just run cold water over mine but I think I'll give this a try.  I have a feeling I've been doing it wrong with all of my pasta so I'm going to to the ice-cold water dip with them too.)

Cooked noodles, both fresh and dried, can be covered with towels and set aside for about 1 hour before use.
(This I didn't know.  I've always tried to use them quickly to prevent them from drying out.  I will say that I've tried the no-boil noodles and DON'T like them.  I've tried them twice and they always seem to come out chewy.)

Pasta Descriptions and Uses

Some of these I knew, others I didn't.  How about you?

Macaroni:

Alphabets - tiny pasta alphabet - used in soups
Anelli - tiny pasta rings - used in soups
Conchiglie - smooth or ridged shell-shaped pasta in several sizes - used in soups or stuffed
Ditali - large pasta "thimbles" with ridges - used in casseroles, salads, soups or with sauces
Elbow Macaroni - curved tubes in a variety of sizes and lengths - used in casseroles and soups
Farfalle - pasta shaped like bows in a variety of sizes and colors - used in soups and stuffings
Lumache - small to medium size snail-shaped pasta - used in casseroles, salads or with sauces
Macaroni - pasta tubes in a variety of sizes and shapes - used in casseroles or soups
Mostaccioli - medium-size pasta tubes with diagonally cut ends - served with hearty meat or tomato sauces
Orzo - tiny pasta resembling oats - used in soups or cooked like rice
Rigatoni - slightly curved small tubes - used in casseroles or soups
Risini - tiny rice-shaped pasta - used in soups
Ziti - short, smooth tubes - used in casseroles

Noodles:

Fettuccine - about 1/4" wide ribbon noodles, straight or in coils - used buttered or in a rich meat sauce
Lasagne - wide pasta, sometimes with curly edges - used in baked dishes
Noodle Flakes - very fine egg pasta sheets cut into 1/4" squares - used in soups
Tagliatelle - 3/4" wide egg noodles - used in casseroles or with sauces

Spaghetti:

Bucatini - typical spaghetti but hollow instead of solid - used with sauces
Capellini - thin, often coiled, spaghetti - used with sauces
Fusilli - strands of spiral-shaped pasta - used with sauces
Linguine - flat, narrow, long - used in casseroles or with sauces
Spaghettini - long, fine-cut strands of spaghetti - used with sauces
Vermicelli - straight or folded strands of very thin spaghetti - used with sauces

Miscellaneous Pasta:

Cannelloni - 4 to 6 inch pieces of large, fresh pasta rolled around a filling - used baked with sauces
Manicotti - large smooth or ridged pasta tubes - used cooked, filled with cheese or meat and baked
Ravioli - pasta dumpling filled with spinach or ricotta cheese or meat and herbs - used served with sauce
Won Ton Skins - thin soft squares of noodle dough wrapped around or folded over filling of meat, vegetables or seafood - used deep-fried, boiled or steamed

Other:

Cellophane noodles - hard, clear white noodles made from mung beans:  turns translucent when cooked in liquid, puffy and crisp when deep fat fried - used in Oriental style dishes
Rice Sticks - thin, brittle white noodles made form rice powder - used softened in liquid, then stir-fried or deep-fat fried in Oriental style dishes

4 Wonderful Tastes of Italy

There's nothing like a bowl of pasta with tomato sauce flavored with garlic, topped with cheese and pesto.  These 4 ingredients are what you always want to have on hand when making your tasty Italian dishes.

Tomatoes:
Fresh - Tomatoes are at their peak during late summer but they can be found year-round.  When buying look for vine-ripened for best flavor.  When out of season, you can choose canned which can be just as flavorful.
Sun-dried - For a richer taste, sun-dried tomatoes are a great choice.  They're vine-ripened and have been naturally dried to remove all of their water, leaving them chewy and full of concentrated flavor.

Garlic:
This is actually a cousin of the onion.  When cooking, break apart the head of garlic and remove the skin form individual cloves before shopping.
The smaller you chop garlic, the stronger the flavor.  Chopping or pressing releases more of its essential oils, giving the strong garlic aroma.

Cheese:
Mozzarella - This popular, mild-tasting cheese is great for cooking and foods like pizza because of its great melting qualities.
Parmesan - Is known for its sharp flavor.  This firm cheese is excellent for grating and enhances the flavor of your favorite Italian dishes.
Romano - Is another firm cheese with a tangy, robust flavor.  It makes a great topping for vegetables too and can be substituted for Parmesan when you want a bolder taste.

Pesto:
This delightful sauce is usually made with a mix of basil, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, garlic and olive oil.  You can also find other types made form sun-dried tomatoes or red bell peppers.
If you grown your own basil or purchase it fresh, you can make your own pesto.  This sauce adds rich flavor to soups, chicken, fish dishes and pasta.

I've found that these 4 ingredients are a must for my kitchen and I try to never be without them.

Pasta

I found this in a vintage Betty Crocker Cookbook and decided to share.

These are some of the most popular dried varieties of pasta:

Acini De Pepe (or Dot Shape):  Peppercorn-size pieces of cut spaghetti.
Capellini  (or Angel Hair):  The thinnest of the long spaghettis.
Conchigle:  Medium to small shapes with or without groves
Couscous:  The tiniest form of pasta made from granular semolina.
Egg Noodles:  Flat or curly, short pasta strips usually made with eggs or egg yolks.
Elbow Macaroni:  Short, curved, tubular-shaped pasta.
Farfalle (or Bow-Ties):  Shaped like bow-ties.  Miniature bow-ties are known as tripolini.
Fettuccine:  Long, flat noodles, usually 1/4 inch wide.
Fusilli:  Long or short spring-shaped pasta.
Japanese Curly Noodles:  Wavy, thin, long noodles in thin "bricks."
Lasagna:  Flat noodle about 2" wide with either ruffled or straight edges.
Linguine:  Long, flat, thin noodle usually 1/8" wide.
Manicotti (or Cannelloni):  Large 4" hollow pasta tubes that are usually stuffed and baked.
Novelty Shapes:  Seasonal or other pasta shapes, such as trees, rabbits, hearts, etc. sometimes flavored
Penne:  Narrow, short, diagonal-cut pasta about 1 1/4" long, smooth or with groves.
Ramen:  Quick-cooking, deep-fried noodles used dry or cooked.
Ravioli:  Filled pillow-shaped pasta usually stuffed with cheese or spinach.
Rice Noodles:  Translucent, thin strands made from rice flour and water.
Rigatoni:  Short-cut, wide tubular pasta about 1" long with groves.
Rosamarina (or Orzo):  Resembles rice but is slightly larger and longer.
Rotini:  Short-cut corkscrew-shaped pasta.  Wider version is called rotelle.
Spaghetti:  Long, thin, solid strands.
Tortellini:  Filled, slightly irregularly shaped little rings.
Wagon Wheels:  Small, round pasta resembling a wheel with spokes.
Ziti:  Short-cut 2" tubular noodle with smooth surface.

You can refrigerate or freeze leftover pasta for a future meal.  Store in tightly sealed containers or plastic bags in the refrigerator up to five days, or freeze up to two months.  To reheat pasta, choose one of these three quick and easy methods:
* Place pasta in rapidly boiling water for up to 2 minutes.  Drain and serve immediately.
* Place pasta in colander and pour boiling water over it until heated through.  Drain and serve immediately.
*  Place pasta in microwavable dish or container.  Cover and microwave on High for 1-3 minutes per 2 cups or until heated through.  Serve immediately.

Tips for Cooking Pasta

Basic cooking instructions for boxed or dry pasta is the same for all varieties of pasta (vermicelli, spaghetti, fettuccine, etc.).  What does vary, depending on the variety and manufacturer, is the length of cooking time.  Pasta should always be cooked "al-dente" which means "to the tooth" or firm.  Do not overcook your pasta.  If you plan on using the pasta in Quick Pasta Dishes at a later date, you need to cook the pasta 2-3 minutes less, as the pasta will soften while refrigerated. 

To cook 1 pound of dry pasta (which yields about 10 cups or 8 servings of cooked pasta), bring 5 quarts of water with 2 Tbsp. salt (you can omit the salt if you are on a low sodium diet) to a rolling boil.  Just before adding the pasta, add 2 Tbsp. of olive oil to water. Add pasta, stir immediately to separate each strand of pasta, return water to a boil.  Reduce heat to a light boil and cook according to manufactures directions.  Thin pasta (like Angle Hair or Thin Spaghetti) will require anywhere form 3-7 minutes.  Regular spaghetti will require 6-8 minutes.  Thicker, heavier pastas (like fettuccine) will require about 9-11 minutes for cooking.  If cooking fresh pasta, cooking time will be very short, usually between 1-3 minutes. 

Read package directions and stay with your pasta as the end of cooking time nears.  Also, using a timer will help prevent overcooking.  Do not "throw your pasta against the wall" to check for doneness.  If you follow this method, only overcooked and limp pasta will stick to the wall.  Drain your pasta thoroughly in a colander.  If using right away, rinse your pasta in hot water.  If using your pasta in cold salads or if you plan to refrigerate the pasta for Quick Pasta Dishes, rinse pasta under cold water to stop cooking process.  Drain well.  Refrigerate in sealable plastic bags.

Pasta Salad

The Forgotten Pasta Salad.
This dish is something I ate at least a couple of times a week when I was young and stretching money.  It's also a dish that I had simply forgotten about.  I had forgotten how easy it is to make, how good it actually tastes, and how many flavors you can create by changing just one or two ingredients.  You can use just about any pasta you might like or have on hand.  For my salad on the right I cooked my pasta, drained it and while it was still hot I added a little butter.  To this I threw in a couple of chopped boiled eggs, black olives, diced dill pickles, one small can of drained tuna and just a little mayo.  Now how simple is that?  And cheap too because 1 cup of small pasta makes enough for 3-4 meals.  You can add pimentos for color and taste.  Change the pickles to sweet relish.  Top with some French fried onions just before eating.  Add some chopped onions and/or bell peppers.  Just go through your refrigerator and Think With Your Taste Buds while you create your own pasta salad.  Oh yeah, you can eliminate the mayo and use a little of your favorite salad dressing instead.  This is a great way to get kids to be creative by allowing them to help you come up with the ingredients.