Do you do this when you cook spaghetti? details...?

Question

I made spegetti for dinner tonight and every single time i make it, i end up with a huge gigantic pot of it....when i'm putting the speggetti in the boiling water it doesn't look like enough so i put more in and i end up with tons of it,,,does anyone else do this?....

Answer 1

OMG!!! I do that too and then I end up with too much that I throw away. Horrible I know but it happens. I'm always afraid that I'm not making enough to feed everyone.

Answer 2

Harlot-Style Spaghetti

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

SERVES 4

Every Italian cook has a recipe for "harlot-style spaghetti", named for the hot red pepper that gives it quite a kick. Assuming you have the staples on hand, including oil-cured black olives, anchovies, capers, and dried tomatoes, this colorful and spicy dish can be put together in twenty minutes.

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Colavita™ Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small hot red pepper, slit
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 2-ounce tin anchovies, drained and chopped
1 pound ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/4 cup capers, rinsed, dried, and chopped
1/2 cup chopped pitted oil-cured black olives
1/4 cup Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil
1 pound spaghetti

In a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pepper and garlic and cook, pressing on the pepper with a wooden spoon, until the garlic begins to color. Remove the pepper and discard. Add the anchovies and swirl them in the oil until they begin to dissolve. Add the tomatoes, capers, and olives, and cook, covered, for 5 minutes more.

While the sauce cooks, puree the dried tomatoes with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a blender or food processor.

Add the tomatoes to the sauce and cook, covered, for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to very low to keep the sauce warm.

Meanwhile, bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente. Drain well and add to the sauce. Toss the spaghetti in the sauce and turn out onto a platter. Serve immediately.

Note: To peel tomatoes, drop them into a pot of boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain, cool, and slip off the skins.


try making this recipe and in the future judge from the measurements. Enjoy

Answer 3

Yes I do it a lot, lol. I guess it's habit. Although it works out pretty good in the long run because I usually have enough left over for lunch or dinner or both the next day - which saves me a lot of time.

Answer 4

The rule of thumb for the Italian cook is to close your hands so that your fingertips meet your thumbs. In other words, make an O with your hand. What you can fit in the O that your hand makes, is equal to 1 serving of spaghetti.

Answer 5

A good rule of thumb is that a small fistful of spaghetti is enough for about one person. It's so hard not to cook too much!

Answer 6

I used to, but then I got a kitchen scale. And when the recipe calls for a pound of pasta, I measure out 12 oz. It doesn't look like a lot, but it turns out to be. Then there's less waste.

Answer 7

I tend to make to much of everything. I cook for 4 and there are 2 of us. I am getting a little better but still... I always make too many noodles.

Answer 8

I usually make more on purpose. Afterwards, I mix just a little bit of the sauce in it and put it in the fridge. It keeps it from sticking and you don't have to add butter and fat (you still can if you want, but the sauce keeps it moist.

Answer 9

No I use pasta quills or shells (because the boys like them) these days and can judge the amount by handfuls - I do cook too much rice sometimes but I can save that and reheat it in olive oil.Same goes for potatoes.

Answer 10

Yep, do it every time. Luckily I always make way too much marinara as well and it all makes fabulous lunches for the next few days!!!