Pasta fans? This article is for you! On the occasion of the release of the cooking magazine “À croquer”… Discover Julie Andrieu’s tips for making your pasta a success every time. Read the guide!
Indeed, for more than 20 years, Julie Andrieu has shared with lovers of gastronomy, a thousand and one tips gleaned during her walks and her experiences around the world.
French food critics are back this year with the magazine “à croquer”. A project developed with his friends, oenologist coaches, artists and cooks. On the occasion of this publication on April 14, 2022, Julie Andrieu therefore agreed to answer a few questions. She shared her tips for preparing ultra-tasty pasta. Yum ! Without further ado, read on…
For successful pasta… Choose the right pan and use enough water
For Julie Andrieu, you have to start by forgetting certain received ideas. Like putting oil in pasta water to prevent it from sticking. According to her, this is a bad idea and it does not change anything since the oil floats.
So for successful cooking, the most important thing is to first choose a pan large enough for the pasta to be comfortable. And boil enough water.
According to Julie Andrieu, the ideal proportions are 1 liter of water for 100 g of pasta and 10 g of coarse salt. In fact, this quantity may seem substantial. But you have to salt the pasta water well because it is not naturally salty.
Watch the pasta carefully while cooking.
So that the pasta is al dente (firm) when you drain it. Be sure to watch the cooking closely. “I passed this on to my children and my daughter once pointed out that my pasta was overcooked. I was both upset and very proud, because the message had passed!”.
Also, don’t forget to taste your pasta. And above all, do not necessarily rely on the time mentioned on the package because it is often noted “à la française”.
Save the cooking water
Always remember to keep or take a small bowl of cooking water when draining the pasta. Indeed, the water will be very hot and full of salt and starch that the pasta will have spread during cooking.
The cooking water can therefore be used to loosen a sauce. As Julie Andrieu points out: “this trick, which is little known in France, is nevertheless very important for Italians who are all familiar with it”. Moreover, this makes it possible to coat the pasta and thus make the sauce more liquid t while avoiding the addition of fat.
Stir the sauce well
The French usually pour the sauce over the pasta in the salad bowl or serving dish. However, for Italians, this way of proceeding makes no sense (except for some raw sauces such as pesto for example).
Moreover, the ideal is to prepare the sauce in a fairly large cooking container and then pour the pasta into it with the cooking water and possibly a little fat.
Then, in order to allow the pasta to absorb the sauce and create an osmosis…. It will therefore be necessary to let the whole thing simmer for 30 seconds to 1 minute maximum. This tip should allow you to obtain much more fragrant and less dry spaghetti.
