Pasta Express

annie-c

frugalsar wrote: »

Thanks for the description of how to make non sticky pasta - mine always seems to go that way, could you tell us how to make a tomato sauce I usually buy jars but would love to have a go myself (as you can tell I'm not a cooking person but trying!)

OK, heres a 20min pasta dish recipe

Fill the kettle and put on to boil. When boiled, half fill your largest saucepan with the kettle water and put on to bring back to the boil... add salt if you wish -this pan is for the pasta.

In the meantime, finely chop one onion and crush 2 cloves garlic (nb a clove of garlic is one little section of the whole head)

Place a fryingpan over a medium heat and add 1 tbspoon oil (vegetable, sunflower or olive) or a few sprays Frylite if on a slimming plan

Add the onion to the pan and stir it round occasionally for 5 mins or so until it is pale in colour and starting to look a bit see-through, but not brown. If it starts to brown at the edges before it is soft then the heat is too high, so turn it down and continue.

By this time, if the other pan of water has come to a fast boil add in your pasta and start a timer, depending on how many mins the packet says you should boil it.

Add to your onion-filled frying pan 1 large squeeze (about 1tbs) tomato puree, 1 can chopped tomatoes and a pinch of dried herbs (or fresh basil if you have any, but dried mixed are fine), a few twists of black pepper, a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar.

Bring the heat in the pan up until the mixture is bubbling, then turn down and allow to simmer, uncovered, for at least 5 mins. This will drive off some of the liquid and give you a thicker consistency.

Check that the pasta is done. Initially you may want just to go by the cooking instructions but as you get more confident, you can pick out a single strand or piece with a fork and try it out. Best served 'al dente' which means it should have no crunch, but it should have a bit of bite...

Once the pasta is done, drain it in a colander over the sink, taking care not to chuck your pasta down the sink....:p

Serve the sauce on top and add more black pepper and a sprinkle of cheese. Freshly grated parmesan is best but cheddar is fine....:T

Serves 2


Variations

1 To make spag bol, add 1lb mince once the onions are softened and brown the mince before adding the other ingredients. Now serves 4.

2 Chopped peppers, thinly sliced courgette, sliced mushrooms, grated carrot all work well either in the tomato version or to use half and half with mince. Add the extra veg after the onions are cooked and saute a few mins before adding any meat.

3 If you can spare it a 1/2 glass red wine will add a lovely richness

4 Instead of a pinch of sugar add 1 square dark chocolate to a bolognese for a really rich flavour.

5 The 20 min version will always turn out lovely, but if you can spare the time, once you are at the final stage of cooking, turn the heat down to its lowest and simmer for up to 40 mins. The heat should in this case be so low that the pan barely ripples but just an occasional air bubble plops to the surface. This will give you the jammiest tomato sauce you have ever tasted! Better still, leave in the fridge overnight or freeze to eat another day... always tastes better on the second day when the flavours have developed....

odds-n-sods

annie-c wrote: »

Traditional noodles are made with more finely ground flour than regular pasta and they contain egg.

(I looove carbs so much I learn minute details about them!!!!:rotfl: )

They are still pasta - from any cuisine. The term pasta refers to a general type of carbohydrate made from a proccessed flour/water/egg combination. Noodles/spaghetti/penne/chow mein etc refer to a specific type of pasta. Former chef; worked in Italian fine dining........ and dont believe everything you read in wiki!

Bogof_Babe

Wouldn't one of those Stanley flasks, or a Thermos food flask, work in exactly the same way?

Errata

Many thanks for all the wise words, receipts and experience from those who already have one of these things. I can cook and did for donkey's years including helping run farm B & B accommodation, cooking the breakfasts superbly even when somewhat hungover (technical tip - hang on to the Aga rail with one hand whilst wielding the frying pan with the other). There are many things that interest me, but cooking isn't one of them, so now I can please myself..........I'm a non-cook :j .
That doesn't mean I don't like food, especially mediterranean - pax Quasar

krispyg76

Please tell me you have not bought this.....?

A pan of boiling salted water works the same. And for pasta to cook im sure it needs to retain the heat in the water which only a pan on a hob would do.

I bought some gnocci yesterday, now that stuf is filling, it's well worth buying.

jcr16

i must say i have seen this and been very very temtped, but i haven't actually bought one as i keep thinking is it just a novalty. but interesting reading others opinions on it.

annie-c

odds-n-sods wrote: »

Former chef; worked in Italian fine dining........ and dont believe everything you read in wiki!

:rotfl:..........

Errata

krispyg76 wrote: »

Please tell me you have not bought this.....?

A pan of boiling salted water works the same. And for pasta to cook im sure it needs to retain the heat in the water which only a pan on a hob would do.

I bought some gnocci yesterday, now that stuf is filling, it's well worth buying.

It seems that it works if the directions are followed, see previous post. I would never buy gnocci, it's so easy to make and cheap as chips. One of the mediterranean dishes I often made when I did cook.
I'm trying to figure out if the thing works by a similar principle to a hay box, but with boiling water instead of hay.

annie-c

I have read on the OS board of people bringing pasta to the boil then turning the heat off and leaving it to cook in the hot water, Errata so I'm sure the heat thing would deffo work. I guess it's just a matter of texture given the other factors involved.

If you buy it I'd love to know how you get on

ElaineJoan

Hope the thread can still be followed....I am considering buying the Pasta Espress for my daughters in law. This is not a lazy option but a carbon and cost consideration. One kettle of boiling water is much less than 8-10 mins on a stove. It is also a very quick method. So, as the previous comments have been pro cooking in the traditional way, bar one very satisfied user, I would like to know if the instructions tell you to leave the pasta in the tube if a softer pasta is required. It apparently cooks vegetables, too. Is this a success for such items? Thank you for any help on this.