Showing posts sorted by date for query Banana Bread. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query Banana Bread. Sort by relevance Show all posts
I had some stale bread that needed using up today, along with some bananas that were ripening. I knew I could use two of the bananas up in another kind of bake, but I wanted to do something different with the one.
I am not a big bread eater most of the time. I only ever rarely eat it, and then it is always whole wheat, and usually as toast. I had bought this loaf of white bread when Eileen and Tim were here one day because they only eat white bread.
If I had a large freezer, I simply would have frozen it to use another time, but alas . . . I only have the top of my refrigerator freezer at this point in time. I have given the birds lots of my bread over the past few months.
Today I thought I could use at least some of this to make some sort of dessert and with the banana involved, a chocolate and banana bread pudding came to mind. And why not!
I wish you could have seen this when it first came out of the oven. The bread and custard had all souffled up and looked like a pretty flower.
All puffy and tall, golden brown. Buttery golden brown. Alas, what goes up usually comes down in a very short time so I was unable to get a photograph. You will just have to take my word for it!
It was indeed, extremely pretty. I love recipes like this one, where you can use up things you have in your house. I hate waste.
Bread puddings and the like are the perfect use for stale bread, as is French toast. A bread pudding is actually like a baked French toast in almost every way.
Or you could say French toast is fried bread pudding. Its all in how you look at it I guess!
Today I used Villagio Classic Italian White Bread. The slices were nice and thick. Brioche would also work very well. Mmmm . . . especially chocolate chip brioche, but I digress.
This is a bread and butter pudding, in that the slices of bread are buttered on one side before layering them in the dish. I cut them in half and used a glass pie dish, placing half of them in buttered side up, and sprinkled with cinnamon
They looked like a flower laying there in the pie dish. I covered the first layer of bread with sliced banana. Not too thin, each slice being about 1/3 of an inch thick. Then I sprinkled semi-sweet chocolate chips over top.
Bananas and chocolate go so well together. I wouldn't use milk chocolate here. It would be too sweet with the banana. Just my opinion.
I thought semi sweet would work much better. Trust me on this.
I placed the remaining half slices of bread over top of the banana and chocolate chips, again sprinkling them with ground cinnamon.
I placed them slightly askew from the bottom layer so that there were no real gaps right through to the bottom of the dish if that makes sense.
A rich custard then gets poured over top. This, too, is simple. Just beaten milk and cream, eggs and some brown sugar.
I used full fat milk. I mean there is cream, so what the heck. Why not use whole! Desserts are suppose to be a tad bit indulgent.
You want to whisk these together until the sugar melts completely into the liquid. You could add a touch of vanilla if you wanted to, or a bit of vanilla and lemon, but I did not.
Pour this over the bread, making sure that every slice gets some on it.
I then used the back of my wooden spoon to smush them down a tiny bit. Making sure each and every scrap of the bread was soaked or soaking.
Submerge it as well as you can, but don't compact it, if that makes sense. (And I hope that it does!)
I didn't bother putting any chocolate chips on top. I knew that the oven temperature would only burn them, or cause they to dry out too much. I don't like chocolate chips that are burnt and dried out.
I also don't think any other kind of chocolate chip would work as well as the semi sweet. You could chop up semi sweet chocolate or even dark chocolate, but make sure it is a good quality chocolate.
I sprinkled it with a final but of freshly grated nutmeg and then just left it sitting for half an hour so that a lot of the custard could be absorbed. Makes for a lovely soufflé like finish, in my opinion.
This is a pudding that loves to be served with lashings of something creamy. Vanilla ice cream. Pouring cream. Custard sauce.
I decided to serve it with lashings of cream. Yes, there is only me. Don't judge me, lol. I already judge myself.
This is pretty indulgent and difficult to resist. A once in a blue moon treat perhaps.
My problem is I have far too many of those. Blue moon treats that is, but at this stage of my life, I figure a bit of indulgence every now and than won't hurt.
Do you know what you can do with leftover bread and butter pudding? Pop it into the refrigerator and let it get really cold. Then cut it into slabs.
Fry the slabs in hot butter and then serve it hot, drizzled with maple syrup, with some berries scattered over top for breakfast. Just saying. Not that I am going to do that.
But a gal can dream can't she? Dreams cost nothing. Enjoy!
Banana Bread Pudding
Yield: 3
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 40 Mininactive time: 30 MinTotal time: 1 H & 19 M
You can use Brioche bread for this delicious pudding or ordinary white bread. Delicious served warm with vanilla ice cream, pouring cream or custard sauce. Simply double the ingredients to serve six.
Ingredients
- Softened butter to butter the bread and grease the casserole dish
- 5 thick slices of bread, you can leave the crusts on
- 1 banana, peeled and sliced
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 4 TBS semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk
- 1/3 cup (80ml) double cream
- 1 large free range egg, lightly beaten
- 2 TBS soft light brown sugar
- pinch of grated nutmeg
Instructions
- Butter all of your bread slices on one side and cut in half through the middle. Butter a 9 inch pie dish.
- Place half of the bread slices in the bottom of the dish, butter side up. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon. Slice the banana over top and sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Top with the remaining slices of bread, butter side up, and sprinkle with the remainder of the cinnamon.
- Whisk together the milk, cream, egg and brown sugar until the sugar melts into the mixture and dissolves. Pour this evenly over the bread in the pan, making sure everything gets covered. Push the bread down into the milk mixture with the back of a wooden spoon if you need to.
- Sprinkle a bit of nutmeg on top and leave to sit for half an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5.
- Bake the bread pudding in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes until risen, golden brown and the custard has set. (A knife inserted half way between the side and the center should come out clean.)
- Serve warm and spooned out into bowls.
Chocolate Chunk Muffins. I have been making, baking and enjoying this recipe for about 18 years now. It is a recipe I found on the RecipeZaar site way back when there was a RecipeZaar. I wish I could remember the name of the girl I got it from.
She was from India and her name just escapes me. (Senior's brain funk) She was a very nice girl, and called everyone Auntie. I hate it when my brain does that! Forgets things it should remember.
The original recipe used chocolate chips, instead of chocolate chunks, but made a dozen beautiful, most and delicious muffins.
I halved the recipe to only make six and have been baking it ever since. I also switched out the chocolate chips for chocolate chunks.
These muffins are a bit cakier than muffins that I usually bake, but they are also not quite like cupcakes, so I think they still qualify as a muffin.
They have a moist and tender crumb from the use of sour cream (or yogurt) in the batter. Sour cream has a magical quality that always makes things tender and moist.
I added the bicarbonate of soda myself. There is not a lot, but I was always taught that you need a bit of bicarbonate of soda when you are using something acidic in baking such as buttermilk, sour cream or yogurt.
It helps the baked good to rise better, and as you can see works perfectly here. And it is such a small amount that you don't taste it.
If there is one major complaint that I have about ready made baked goods, baking mixes, etc. it is that far more often than not, they taste enormously of baking soda and baking powder.
I hate that and I hate that astringent almost burning feeling it gives to your mouth. If I want astringent I will suck on a lemon thank you very much!
And I can guarantee it will be a lot more pleasant!
Don't you love my hot pad? My friend Ginny from New Hampshire makes them. She created this with the color of lilacs because she knows I love them. It is such a well made hot pad.
Nice and thick, and it is beautiful. Even more so because it was the gift from a friend.
Although the original recipe used chocolate chips, I like to use chocolate chunks. And I like to cut them myself.
Any good bar of chocolate will do, one that contains a high percentage of cacao. They give you more of a chocolate whammy than traditional chocolate chips.
I like to use Green & Blacks organic milk chocolate bars for my muffins. They are really delicious and are not as sweet and milky as traditional milk chocolate.
They taste almost like a dark chocolate, but a bit creamier and work beautifully in these. I also use them for my Butterscotch Blondies. Oh boy are they some good.
I used to make them often for the Mr when I worked at the Manor. He loved them. He had a bit of a sweet tooth. He used to get me to bake my chocolate chip cookies for him every week as well. The blondies were a bit of an extra treat now and then.
He also love, Loved my Banana Bread. He would request a loaf of that every second week or so. He liked it toasted in the toaster oven and spread with butter.
Mind you they had their own private gym, swimming pool and tennis courts. I reckon you can indulge more in things like that if you are going to burn off the calories.
I've been burning off calories by walking. I try to get in as many steps as I can each day. I don't have a pedometer. I just count them by hand and mark them down, keep a record.
Back to the muffins. Sorry I got distracted. They mix together a bit differently than most muffins do. You begin by creaming together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Like a cake.
Then you beat in the eggs and vanilla. The flour, baking powder, soda and salt get sifted together and then added alternately with the sour cream. Folding it in just until everything is combined. Do not overmix as with any muffin.
The batter does not need to be smooth, just evenly moistened. You fold in the chocolate chunks at the end. (I just cut the bar into sections and then chunks. Sorry I should have explained that earlier.)
These are a really nice muffin. Tender and moist, with just enough chocolate. They also keep very well for a couple of days. You can freeze them if you want to keep them longer if you wish.
No need to thaw, simply reheat for about 30 seconds in the microwave.
They go beautifully with a hot cuppa . . . tea . . . java . . . herbal teas, or even a glass of cold milk. They just go beautifully. They're delicious and well worth having the oven on for 15 minutes!
Chocolate Chunk Muffins (small batch)
Yield: makes 6 muffins
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 18 MinTotal time: 28 Min
This is a really great chocolate chip muffin. Moist and delicious and loaded with plenty of chocolate chunks!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (140g) all purpose plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 1/3 cup (85g) butter
- 1/2 cup (95g) granulated sugar (In the UK use castor sugar)
- 1 large free range egg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (60g) sour cream or plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup (90g) good chocolate, cut into chunks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/gas mark 6. Butter a six hole muffin pan really well. Set aside. (Alternately you can line with paper liners.)
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Sift together the flour, soda, baking powder and salt. Add this mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the sour cream, mixing together just to combine. Begin and end with dry ingredients.
- Fold in the chocolate.
- Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups, filling them 2/3 full.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown and well risen. A toothpick inserted in the centre should come out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
- Delicious served fresh and slightly warm. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
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Banana Bread Crumb Cake. If you are a fan of brunch cakes, moist cakes and banana cakes, I have the cake for you, and this is it! This delicious cake is the perfect weekend cake!
This Banana Bread Crumb Cake recipe is a delicious twist between banana cake and banana muffins, with some scrumptious streusel thrown in for good measure. You can't lose! You really can't.
Admittedly its one of my older recipes which I am re-sharing with you. Some things are so good however, that I think they bear repeating. This is one of those things.
I don't think anyone will argue with the fact that I am a prolific blogger. For over 10 years I have been sharing recipes on this page with you almost every single day. That's a whole lot of cooking to say the least.
When I first started, I used google sites to put a printable recipe on, redirecting you from this page to that one. People really like to have a recipe that they can print out. I totally understood that, and that was my solution to that.
As of July 1st, Google is converting all of its sites to a new format. I hate change, but was willing to convert my site to the new format. One big problem.
I have been such a prolific blogger that my existing site will not convert. Its too large. I have too much on there. Why, oh why did I have to share so much with you!
Because I never do anything half way. I am not sure what I am going to do. The recipes will remain on here of course, but you won't be able to click on the print link for those older recipes and go to an easy print page.
I am going to have to go back and convert all of my recipes that I did in that format to my new Recipes Generator format. I started using that two years or so ago, so no problem. I only have about 3000 recipes to convert.
😳😳😳 I am up to the task. I want you to know that. It just may take me some time.
And in the middle of all that I am in the process of moving house. (Nothing is ever uncomplicated for me, nothing.) So you will have to bear with me in the meantime. Those older recipes you may need to copy and paste into a word document to print until I get them all switched.
And I hope you will, bear with me that is. I really do. I work ever so hard on this page, trying to bring you delicious and fresh content as often as I can. This last year has been so difficult for me.
Losing my husband, home, etc. Having to move halfway across the world in the middle of a pandemic. Having to start over again from scratch with zippity do dah!
Have I mentioned that I never do things half way? haha In any case, do stick with me. This will all work out in the wash and I am really hoping that things will be back to normal soon.
As far as this cake goes. ITS DELICIOUS! Ooops sorry for shouting. Its delicious. I am not one to grab a banana out of the bowl and eat it, but when it comes to baking, ripe bananas are one of my favorite ingredients to bake with.
Lovely goodies such as Banana, Cranberry and Walnut Loaf. (This is so good that my next door neighbor in the UK asked me to bake him one each Christmas.)
Sour Cream Banana Loaf. So moist and delicious. My ex boss wanted me to bake it for him every week. He loved it toasted and buttered for breakfast.
And those are just a few of my baked banana goodies.
I just love this Banana Bread Crumb Cake. It's moist and delicious and has a ribbon of scrumptious crumb which runs through the centre.
This layer of centre crumb kind of turns caramel-like . . . oh so delicious.
It is topped with a crunchy crumb topping (same mixture as the centre crumb.) This crumb is moreishly buttery.
Put the two together and you have a real winner on your hands.
It makes a largish cake. You bake it in a 9 by 13 inch pan. It only keeps a couple of days though, because it is so moist.
If you have a large family won't be a problem as this disappears like water, But, if you are an empty nester (like me) or if there are only two of you, you will want to cut it into single servings, wrap well and freeze.
Wrapped well, it will keep frozen for up to two months or so, maybe a tiny bit longer. The recipe can also be cut successfully in half. (Good to know.)
If cutting it in half, simply bake it in an 8 inch square pan, and cut the bake time down by about 1/4th. I would start checking it at the 35 minute mark to be safe.
I don't have a problem either way. Having individually wrapped portions of Banana Bread Crumb Cake frozen and on tap??? Count me in!
Cutting an overly large recipe in half successfully, count me in! If you want any help with the ingredients, just message me and I will do my best for you. I don't mind in the least.
In the meantime I hope that you will want to bake this scrumptious cake with its moist texture, crunchy topping, sweet glazed and big banana flavour! Large or small.
And do stick with me. This ride is about to become even better! Watch this space! The future is bright!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan@aol.com
Banana Bread Crumb Cake
Yield: Serves 12
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 55 MinTotal time: 1 H & 10 M
Moist and delicious with a tasty crumb running through the middle and garnishing the top. In the center it's just moreish, on top, it's crunchy. Gorgeous.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 280g plain flour (2 cups)
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 3 medium ripe bananas
- 125g of unsalted butter, at room temperature (scant 1/2 cup or 9 TBS)
- 280g of caster sugar (2 cups)
- 2 large free range eggs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 225ml of whole milk (1 cup)
For the crumb filling and topping:
- 225g cold butter, cubed (scant cup)
- 400g soft light brown sugar (2 cups)
- 280g of plain flour (2 cups)
- Icing sugar for dusting
To finish:
- 130g sifted icing sugar (1 cup)
- few drops vanilla
- 2 TBS milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 by 13 inch pan and dust lightly with flour, tapping any excess out. Set aside.
- Make the crumb filling by stirring the flour and brown sugar together in a large bowl. Rub lightly to get rid of any lumps. Drop in the butter and cut it in with a pastry blender or a fork, until you have a coarse crumb mixture. Set aside.
- Sift the flour and baking powder together. Set aside.
- Mash the bananas until they are liquefied in a large bowl. Add the butter to combine and then beat in the eggs, sugar and vanilla until mixed well. Add the flour and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Top with 1/3 of the crumb mixture. Cover with the remainder of the batter. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over top evenly.
- Bake for 50 to 55 minutes (mine took an additional 15 minutes) until the center is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. At the end of that time dust with icing sugar if desired. Whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth and then drizzle them decoratively over the top of the cake.
- Cut into squares to serve. This may be served warm or cold and will store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. It also freezes well.
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I thought it would be fun today to do a round-up of some of my favorite pasta dishes that I have cooked here in The English Kitchen. There is a bit of something here for everyone.
Skillet dishes, oven bakes, all-in-ones, sauces, and salads. Pasta is one of my favorite things to cook and to eat. Its a great way to satisfy those carb cravings we all have from time to time!
There is something here from the very basic traditional pasta dishes to new pasta recipes with modern twists. I can guarantee that these are all delicious recipes which are very easy to make and which use simple every day ingredients.
Scroll down to the end to see my hints and tips for cooking pasta perfectly every time!
PASTA E PISELLI
Simple ingredients put together in a simple way. Pasta, peas, water and cheese. It doesn't get any simpler or easier than this. You wouldn't think that simple things like this could come together in such a delicious way, but like magic, they do! I love this.
MARTHA STEWARTS ONE PAN PASTA
One thing I love about this tasty pasta dish is that everything cooks in one pan, even the pasta (linguini) . . . you just add the dry pasta and other ingredients, including water, and it cooks all-together in the pan.
No fuss, no muss . . . no faffing about with having to drain this or that . . . the water, tomatoes, etc. condense along with the starch from the cooking pasta to create a delicious sauce.
PASTA WITH CHICKEN BROTH, BUTTER & CHEESE
This brilliant pasta dish is a beautiful example of simple and uncomplicated foods. Food done well and put together in a most delicious way.
Stock and pasta are the basis of this very simple and yet delicious dish in which pasta is quite simply cooked in a quantity of stock . . . It doesn't get much easier than this.
BOW TIE PASTA WITH SPROUTS AND BACON
Pasta, sprouts and bacon are three of my absolute favourite things, so I just love this dish. Its a very simple recipe and goes together really quickly if you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go.
The sprouts get all caramelised on the edges, which I really love.
Crisp salty bacon and those nutty crispy-tender sprouts in a creamy sauce with plenty of cheese scattered over top! What's not to love about this!
SAUCY PASTA HOOPS
Did you used to like Spaghetti hoops when you were a child? It wasn't something we had very often but when we did it was a real favourite! A grown up version of a childhood favourite, all cooked in one pan.
Rich and cheesy and oh so easy to make! NO fuss, NO muss, and delicious to boot.
LEMON & GREEN OLIVE PASTA
If you are looking to try out a new pasta dish this week look no further. This one is a winning combination all round. Although the quantities are for only two people, you can very easily multiply them to feed more!
It always amazes me when a few simple ingredients come together in an unbelievably delicious way. If you love the flavours of lemon and good green olives you are going to adore this simple pasta dish. Incredibly tasty and very special.
CHEESY TUNA SKILLET PASTA
This is a fabulously tasty skillet meal. It goes together really quickly and is done in about 15 minutes time maximum. While it is cooking you can be putting together a nice salad to serve on the side. Easy peasy.
Its like your favourite Tuna Casserole, or Tuna Helper I guess. Cooked on top of the stove, all in one dish. Again, no fuss, no muss.
EASY OVEN BAKED PASTA
Pasta which has been baked in sauce is really very tasty . . . and all you have to do is just sit there and let the oven do all of the work. All you need is some salad and crusty bread on the side and Bob's your uncle!
Again, a simple dish to make using very simple ingredients. This is delicious.
ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP SUPPER DISH
Don't let the poor photograph put you off from eating this fabulously tasty pasta dish. It's got all the flavours of the traditional Italian Wedding Soup, but it's not soup . . . it's a hearty skillet supper, and it's delicious!
With tiny meatballs, orecchiette pasta, chicken, spinach, aromatics and cheese, this always goes down a real treat!
KITCHEN SINK PASTA
This simple pasta dish was created from all the bits and bobs that were lingering in the bottom of my vegetable bin. I actually won a prize for this recipe. A trip to Tuscany.
Its amazing what you can do with some spinach, a few TBS of sun-dried tomato pesto, a handful of button mushrooms, some leftover seasoned tinned chopped tomatoes and a rather tired looking banana shallot, oh, and some pasta of course!
CHICKEN & PASTA IN A GARLIC & CREAM SAUCE
A fabulous one pot dinner, with chicken, pasta and the most delicious sun dried tomato and garlic cheese sauce!
This is such a simple recipe. You simply saute some garlic and sun dried tomatoes in a bit of oil from the sun dried tomato jar.
CREAMY SWEETCORN MAC & CHEESE
This is such a simple recipe. You simply saute some garlic and sun dried tomatoes in a bit of oil from the sun dried tomato jar.
Some chicken, some cream, some cheese, herbs and seasoning and you have a sauce which is to absolutely die for!
SPAGHETTI FRANCISCO
A baked meal in one which is great for covered dish suppers and pot lucks. You can also divide it between two casserole dishes and freeze one for later.
The original recipe came from Sunset Magazine. I have been baking this old favourite for my family for many, many years, always to accolades.
TOMATO LASAGNA
Oh, I do love a good lasagna. Ofttimes we will stop ourselves from making it as it can be a somewhat complicated dish, but this simple lasagna can be whipped up any time and what I love most about it is the simplicity of flavors.
A simple tomato sauce, layered with béchamel and cheese . . . amongst sheets of pasta, and baked until golden. It is so good. And it is the simplicity of the flavors which make it even more delicious.
SPAGHETTI WITH QUICK BOLOGNESE SAUCE
This delicious sauce requires very little work and very few ingredients. Just some chopped onion, chopped carrot (both of which you can actually chop in a food chopper) . . . some crumbled Italian sausage meat . . . tomato paste and a bit of red wine.
You simmer this together for half an hour and add some herbs and some cream at the end. Beautiful with spaghetti, or any pasta really.
This is a delicious side dish that is great for bring to pot lucks and BB Q's. Everyone loves it.
Macaroni and cheese with the delicious addition of corn. Don't knock it until you try it.
Leftover roast chicken tossed together with buttery soft shredded Brussels sprouts, whole wheat spaghetti, garlic and cheese. Amazingly delicious!
I love recipes like this! A bit of this and that thrown together in a most delicious way.
GOURMET MAC & CHEESE
A truly creamy and rich version of macaroni and cheese with three delicious cheeses and a crunchy topping. What's not to love about this?
This is quite simply, my favourite version of mac & cheese.
CHEDDAR MACARONI SALAD
I have several different macaroni salads on here that I have posted and both are very good. My Creamy Macaroni Salad is quite delicious and combines a variety of elements of different salads I have tried through the years. The other one which I make, Basic Macaroni Salad is also very good!
This recipe for Cheddar Macaroni Salad Cheddar Macaroni Salad, was adapted from one of my oldest cookery books, The Better Homes and Gardens, New Cookbook, the 1982 Edition. This is one of my favourite books and one of the very first cookbooks I purchased. Sadly I have lost the book now, having had to leave it in the UK. Maybe one day I will come across another copy.
This recipe is actually one I adapted from one which I found in an old Weight Watchers cookbook. It is filled with colour, flavour, texture and taste!
I really enjoy these types of salads because they sit well, and taste even better the day after. With plenty of fresh vegetables . . . cauliflower, broccoli, cherry tomatoes and red onions . . . chopped fresh basil.
TURKEY, SOUR CHERRY & ALMOND PASTA SALAD
I use farfalle pasta for this, whole wheat if I can get it . . . its the perfect shape to use in a pasta salad. Nice and open, but with a few little pleats to hold in the dressing. And that dressing is delicious.
A homemade poppy seed dressing that is lovely and tangy from fresh lemon juice, with a bit of punch from Dijon mustard and sweetness from creamy honey.
There is nothing about this that I don't love.
HOW TO COOK PASTA PERFECTLY EVERY TIME:
Here are my hints and tips for cooking perfect pasta each when you cook it. Whether you are cooking it to serve as a base for a delicious sauce or to add to a fantabulous casserole, this information is sure to come in handy and insure pasta perfection each and every time.
1. No matter what you may read, don't put any oil in your water or on your pasta. Adding oil to the water or to your cooked pasta will cause your sauce to slip right off.
2. Use plenty of cold, fresh, heavily salted water, in a large pot. This ensures that once it comes to the boil you will have plenty of room for the noodles to move about freely, enabling it to cook properly and preventing it from sticking together. The basic rule of thumb is to use three liters (3 gallons) of water to every 250g of pasta (1pound).
3. Use plenty of salt. Your water needs to "taste like the sea" in order for the flavor to permeate the pasta. Three liters of water will require at least 1 TBS of fine sea salt.
4. Make sure your water has come to a rolling rapid boil before you add your pasta. Don't ever be tempted to add it before this happens. If you add your pasta too soon, it is likely to end up soggy and badly cooked.
5. Drop your pasta into the boiling water and then stir it immediately. This will prevent it from sticking together, or to the sides or bottoms of your saucepan.
6. Follow the package directions. All brands and varieties of pasta will have a recommended cook time printed on the packaging, both for regular or al dente (firm, but tender to the tooth, my preferred). Different types of pasta will take different cook times. One size does not fit all when it comes to pasta.
7. Save some of the cooking water. Just use a ladle and measure out some of it. This comes in handy when saucing up your pasta.
8. Always have your sauce ready before you begin to cook your pasta. Cooking the pasta should be the last thing you do.
9. Drain your pasta well, rinse and then drain again, using very hot water. Don't let it sit and get all dry. You should use it as soon as possible after this step.
10. Add your pasta to the sauce, not the other way around.
11. Add some pasta water to the sauce. Adding a touch of pasta water to your sauce when you add the pasta will help the sauce to stick better to the pasta. It also adds some richness and flavor as well as helping to bring a split sauce back together.
Following these hints and tips can bring perfect pasta within your reach every single time! Happy Cooking!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
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