Thursday, May 12, 2011

Use A Pasta Blanching Basket







If you've ever ordered a pasta dish at a restaurant and wondered why it only took a few minutes to prepare, you are not alone. Most restaurants use a technique called blanching. The pasta is prepared during the day by their prep cooks and then stored. When you order it, they toss it into a pasta blanching basket and your 20 minute fettucini alfredo order just took half the time. Here is use a pasta blanching basket.


Instructions


1. Measure your pasta blanching basket with your pot. Pasta blanching baskets come in all sizes to fit every size pot imaginable. Because the basket rests on top of the pot, it must fit properly to avoid the pasta either spilling into the water or not reaching the water at all. The pasta blanching basket should securely fit on both ends of the pot.








2. Boil water in your pot. People have different things they like to do to their boiling water before adding pasta. Maybe sprinkle a pinch of salt or add a dash of olive oil. But the most important thing is that you bring that water to a boil.


3. Add the pasta to the pasta blanching basket. From your pre-made pasta that you earlier prepared, place the desired amount in the basket.


4. Blanche the pasta in the boiling water. Place the pasta in the water for 2 to 3 minutes or until al dente. Then remove the basket from the water. Shake the excess water vigorously. Then plate or combine in a sauce pan with the desired sauce depending on the recipe.

Tags: blanching basket, pasta blanching basket, pasta blanching, boiling water, pasta blanching