This Guide To Pasta and Grains outlines the different types of pasta and grains, how to cook them, and ideas to try your hand at!
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Pasta and Grains
When it comes to the building blocks for so many amazing meals, pasta and grains are arguably at the center. Spaghetti and meatballs, stuffed squash, or stir fry: they all feature pasta or grains that add substance to the dish.
But with so many varieties out there, some may be left wondering: what’s the best way to cook them? How long does each kind take to cook? What pasta or grain is best for certain dishes? Read on to learn the answers to these questions and much more in this Guide To Pasta and Grains!
Pasta
An audible sigh escapes my lips every time I think of, read about, or consume pasta. It has to be my all-time favorite meal! Whether it’s bathed in a piquant red sauce that’s been simmered for hours, tossed with a myriad of ingredients that sing together, or baked with layers of cheesy goodness, pasta is delicious however it’s served!
There are so many delicious pasta varietals that I cook with on a regular basis. Let’s start with the basics: those you will easily find in the aisles of your supermarket and will regularly show up in recipes.
We’ll then look at a few other kinds of pasta that may not be as familiar, but that I highly encourage you to seek out and try. These are the ones that will level up your pasta-making capabilities!
Level 1: The Everyday Pastas
- Spaghetti: The well-known and loved spaghetti is long, thin, and round. It’s obviously famous from the classic Spaghetti and Meatballs but is an excellent option for thinner olive oil-based sauces since they coat the long strands of pasta well.
- Linguine: Another long pasta, linguine is long and flattened compared to spaghetti. It pairs perfectly with a cream-based sauce since the size and width of the noodles stand up well to rich sauces.
- Penne: A classic in a myriad of pasta dishes, penne is a short-cut, tube-like pasta with ends that are cut on a diagonal. Sauces inevitably get “trapped” in the tube of each noodle. Meat sauces or classic marinara are wonderful options for this type of pasta.
- Macaroni: Another well-known and loved type of pasta, macaroni is, of course, famous for being baked with rich cheese sauces. The short and curved tubes, like penne, are ideal vessels for thick sauces.
- Fusilli and Rotini: Both types feature a classic short “corkscrew” shape, making them excellent options for pasta bakes and pasta salads alike. Fusili has a more structured corkscrew shape resembling a spring, whilw rotini is generally a “looser” corkscrew shape.
- Lasagne: Wide, long, and flat, lasagne is used in the classic Lasagna that many know and love. The noddles themselves come in cook and no-cook options, offering time savings when arranging the classic dish that will be cooked with sauce, cheese, and other ingredients.
- Orzo: A short, rice-like pasta, orzo is best served with thin broth-like sauces, in pasta salads, or in soups. Given its size, it’s a great addition to recipes with also include a number of other ingredients.
Level 2: Pastas To Impress
- Rigatoni: A personal favorite of mine, this short tube-like pasta is the perfect canvas for rich and creamy sauces. The surface area of the pasta (both inside and out) means ample opportunity for the sauce to cling to each crevice.
- Pappardelle: Similar to linguine, pappardelle is a long and flat noodle. However, it’s 2-3 times the width of linguine, making it the perfect pasta with hefty meat sauces.
- Radiatore
- Bucatini: Similar in shape to spaghetti, bucatini differs as it’s thicker and is tube-like: it has a hole running down the center of each noodle. Thinner sauces work beautifully with this type of pasta, as it can seep into each tube offering more flavor in each bite.
- Jumbo Shells: The perfect vessel to be stuffed and baked, jumbo shells are a great option when you’re looking for a pasta dish to impress. You can choose the filling, whether it’s vegetable-based or features meat, and select your favorite sauce to cover them in. They’re baked to bubbly perfection!
How To Cook Pasta
Cooking pasta may be a thing of familiarity to many readers, however, others may need a refresher. While following the instructions on the package of your dried pasta seems simple enough, there are a few key things to remember as you set out to cook pasta:
- Cook your pasta in a large pot. Pasta needs room to move around as it cooks, so this is no time for a small saucepan: break out the big one! You’ll want quarts of water per pound of pasta, making a large stockpot the perfect vessel for cooking pasta. Many options include a strainer attachment you can cook your pasta directly in, offering convenience (this is similar to the pot I use and love).
- Bring the water to a boil! Adding it any sooner will create unpredictability in your cook time!
- Salt your water with a heavy hand. Now is not the time for a pinch! You may have heard chefs explain that the water you cook your pasta in should “taste like the sea”. Add 1 tablespoon of salt per pound of pasta.
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Some pasta can take as little as a few minutes until it’s al dente, which means “to the tooth” in Italian. It should still have a little bite to it: not mushy or chewy.
What Sauce To Serve With Your Pasta
As a general rule, use the following logic when selecting which pasta to cook with what sauces.
Short-cut pasta such as penne, rigatoni, rotini and radiatore are great for baked pasta dishes. These are also ideal for pasta salad, with orzo making an excellent option, too.
Thin and long-cut pasta such as spaghetti or bucatini are perfect light butter or oil-based sauces as well as thin tomato sauces as well.
Tube-like pasta or those with lots of texture such as rigatoni, bucatini, macaroni, call for creamy sauces, as their curves and general shape captures sauce well. Longer and flat pasta like linguine or fettuccini is also a wonderful option as well. Thick tomato sauces are also an excellent option for tube-like pasta, too.
Pasta Recipes To Try
While this article is the first resource I’m sharing during the month of September which is dedicated to Pasta and Grains as part of my educational So Happy In The Kitchen series, I’ve rounded up a few pasta recipes for you to try your hand at! There will be many new pasta recipes coming this month, so be sure to head to the Pasta archives on my site for more delicious recipes!
Grains
Like pasta, there are types of grains that we each individually will gravitate to for everyday cooking. Whether you like the increasingly popular superfood quinoa, chewy farro, or versatile brown rice, there seems to be a go-to grain for every dish and mood.
The below collection of grains includes the most widely used out there, although there are a number of other delicious options to consider as well! Use this list as a starting point and continue adding new grains to your arsenal.
Classic Grains
- Arborio Rice: Known best for its use in risotto, arborio rice is an Italian short-grain rice. Its high starch content s what yields its creamy texture. Arborio rice can be cooked in as little as 20 minutes, although many risotto recipes have a reputation of taking longer since small amounts of warm liquid are stirred into the rice until it’s absorbed.
- Wild Rice: A delicious and hearty option, wild rice is technically harvested from grass, although once cooked it resembles the short grains we’re accustomed to. Wild rice makes a wonderful pilaf and tends to require much more liquid than other grains and longer cook times.
- Bulgur: Common in Middle Eastern cooking, bulgur is a grain made of cracked parboiled groats. It has a slightly chewy texture once cooked and makes a wonderful side dish or salad. Its commonly used in the traditional tabbouleh.
- White Rice: Arguably the most readily available, white rice is a common staple in many kitchens across the globe. The cooked result is fluffy and tender and serves as the base for many Asian dishes.
- Quinoa: Having gained significant popularity in the past decade quinoa is now widely available and used in a number of recipes. Note that quinoa is commonly misconceived as a grain: it’s technically a seed! Like wild rice, however, it’s used frequently as a grain.
- Farro: This ancient whole grain is commonly used in soups, salads, or on its own as a pilaf style dish. When cooked, it’s chewy and sightly dense, offering a satisfying bite.
- Brown Rice: With a lower starch content compared to white rice, this grain is considered whole since it includes all parts of the grain, whereas white rice is stripped of the bran and germ. Brown rice is nutty and chewy, making a wonderful side dish or bed for stir fry.
- Pearl Couscous: This large-pearl couscous is actually pasta! Also known as Israeli couscous, it’s typically served in soups or as a side dish salad.
How To Cook Grains
Depending on the type, the amount of liquid required to properly cook grains can vary widely, along with the necessary cook time. See the below helpful graphic to learn about the various grain to liquid ratio and their corresponding cook times!
Grain Recipes To Try
There will be many more grain-forward recipes I’ll be sharing in the coming month, but until then, give a few of these recipes that feature wholesome grains a try!
To Pasta and Grains!
I hope this article has given you more confidence to cook pasta and grains. Now that you know the right cooking methods, what preparations are best for each type, and a few recipes to try yourself, you’re equipped to make pasta and grains like a pro.
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