There’s a fine art to getting pasta just right
SIR – You report (November 25) the Italian chef Gino D’acampo saying that the British do not know how to eat pasta, and that they frequently offer too large a serving.
Well, we mostly do not know how to cook it either. The water must be salted, but few consider how much water and how much salt to use. Cookery writers often recommend a “generous pinch”. This is too vague.
A good rule of thumb is: 1000:100:10. So 1,000 millitres (one litre) of water will cook up to 100 grams of (dry) pasta with 10 grams of salt. Add the pasta as the water nears the boil; time from when it comes to a good rolling boil; stir occasionally; and do not leave the pan. If you find bits of pasta stuck together, or stuck to the bottom of the pan, you have been careless.
As for grated cheese, consider when the pasta is drained adding a little olive oil to coat – then stir in the cheese, and then the sauce. The cheese should be spread through the dish, not chucked on top.
Chris James
Abergele, Denbighshire