How do I make my pasta taste better?

Question

It seems like it always tastes too starchy. Would adding butter make it more like pasta at restaurants?

Answer 1

Perhaps you aren't boiling your pasta in enough water? Pasta needs LOTS of water to bump around in. Often times if you don't have enough water your pasta will turn out startchy. It may be just that simple. Try to cook your pasta without oil, that will keep your sauce from sticking to it.
Good luck and happy cooking!!!

Answer 2

Don't rinse it, don't add butter or oil, and don't overcook it.

Restaurants often pre-cook their pasta to the al dente stage, drain it, and put it in a warming tray. When the customer orders it, they put it back into boiling water for a few minutes to heat it. However, more often than not they overcook the pasta.

First, make sure you have enough water in the pot. If you are using dry pasta, it will absorb the water and it also needs space to "plump up" as it cooks.

Next, add a little salt to the water to flavor the pasta as it cooks.

Third, cook the pasta to the al dente stage. It SHOULD be a little sticky and starchy.

Next, take a couple of tablespoonfuls of the pasta water and add it to your sauce. Then, drain the pasta and add it to your sauce and toss it to fully coat the pasta with the sauce.

When preparing your sauce, make sure the pot is large enough to hold both the pasta and the sauce. Two things should happen. The pasta should actually ABSORB some of the sauce and sauce will stick to the pasta. If you remove the starch, the pasta can't absorb the sauce and it will probably just sink to the bottom of the dish.

Of course, if you really want to remove the starch and not have the sauce stick, just add some vegetable oil or olive oil to the water before you put the pasta in the pot. That'll remove all the starch!

Answer 3

You are over cooking your pasta. It needs to be AL-DENTE, which means slightly under cooked in Italian. While you are cooking your pasta, take a fork, and push a piece of it against the side of the pot, away from the water, if it starts to stick to the dry inner pot youre cooking in, it is ready, drain right away, put on a PLATE,( happy, Major?) put your pasta sauce on top of it, and during those few minutes you are preparing your dish, the heat still inside of the pasta will cook it through. When you serve it at the table it will have a tiny bite to it, and not be too soft. Adding butter to it is fine, but it only adds a buttery flavor, will not take away any starchy taste. Try this, and you will see. Good luck!

PS..what everyone else is saying is FLAT BS. I know my pasta. The longer you cook it, the more the flour that pasta is made from releases, making it more mushy, and starchy.

I got your silly joke Major, it was as funny as a pinch of salt

To bubbls, putting oil to any pasta, or to the water its cooked in is a waste of expensive oil, olive or otherwise. Oil in the boiling water, makes the oil rise to the top, and doesnt even touch the pasta. Oil and water dont mix, remember that old adage? Adding oil to cooked pasta, makes it so the pasta sauce cant stick to the pasta! No one wants to eat pasta without sauce, if we did it your way, wed be eating pasta covered in oil, and eating the pasta sauce with a spoon. Good try though. NOT

Answer 4

Do not add butter to your pasta it will make the sauce so it is not able to cling to the pasta as well. If you pasta is too starchy you need to either rinse it better or you need to try another brand of pasta. I have tried all different brand of pasta and some of them are a bit starchier than others. Try Barilla it's is not as starchy as other pastas. Another way to make your pasta taste better is to make sure that you salt your water well before cooking.

Answer 5

Dont just keep adding butter. If you are making a marinara sauce pasta, then add chunks of tomato, some fresh garlic, a little italian seasioning and some sauteed onions. If you are making an alfredo sauce pasta then use half and half, parmasan cheese, a little butter, some milk and fresh garlic, let it thicken in a skillet before adding your favorite additions (chicken, mushrooms, onion, etc).
It also helps if you experiment with different spices you know you like already. Shrimp is also a great addition to all pasta dishes.

One of my favorite things is to saute all of the vegitables, chicken or shrimp in a white wine, and then mix it in with the sauce. It adds a nice restaurant style flare.

Answer 6

If you are looking to prepare pasta as a side dish here is my favorite way to do it. I always cook it with a little salt and olive oil in the water and a minute or two longer than it says on the package. Taste it to see if it is to your liking. After you drain it, add a little salt, pepper (to taste) about a tablespoon of Earth Balance (low fat butter substitute) and a light sprinkle of McCormick Vegetable Supreme. Mmmm! Let me know (at: [e-mail]) if you try it and whether you like it or not. You can also add anything else you might like to it. Experiment a little. Good luck,

Marti

Answer 7

i have a tendency now to read everyones answers-
but this time i won't soooo!
we all make pasta by adding it to the boil -right?
so why not start with ,the same big pot and -season !! our dish with oil,garlic,onion,(anchovies-if u like-em)then add the water and bring to a boil and add your pasta !! throw in some 1/2ved potatoes and a big slice of dry-bread (they will soak up the starchiness of the dish ) then add a couple-a-gogs of olive-oil to bring it up to-par season and taste ! you'll be surprised what the tater-and bread make---(don't forget ,you gotta dump the two !!!!! )

other than that !!
you got very old pasta and starch-is-what starch-was---so drain and re-season ,after you re-heat with new water...then (for me-just don't tell me-,)but do a really good sauce!!

Answer 8

Make sure that you're cooking it long enough. It should be a little firm ("al dente"), but if there's a musty taste like flour, it's underdone.

When it's finished cooking, drain and rinse well with hot water. That should take care of the starchy taste. And--all brands are not alike. I use Barilla. Good luck!

Answer 9

Put it in your lap instead of a plate. Or, don't cook it so long. Too much cooking makes it mushy and starchy

Answer 10

Don't overboil, rinse and drain as stated above, and I usually put Cayenne pepper in the water when I boil the noodles. VERY subtle kick.