There are those who believe it is written in stone you absolutely must cook your pasta in plenty of generously salted water. There is an alternative to this boiling of water and using a colander to strain your pasta. It makes easy one-dish pasta creations with minimum kitchen prep and cleanup . This cooking method is perfect for summer camping or anytime you have limited stove top space.
You can adept most recipes (including the following MRS BUTTERFINGER’S Bacon and Tomato Penne) by eliminating the pot of boiling water altogether. You simply combine pasta, liquids and aromatics in one pan. The pasta will cook al dente as the liquids, aided by the starches in the pasta reduce into a creamy sauce.
You start with a large high-sided sauté pan and prepare your sauce mixture. Be sure you have a generous amount of liquid – at least 4 cups. You can augment the sauce by using chicken stock, milk , vegetable stock, strained tomatoes and even water. Prepare your sauce. Add the pasta and bring it to the boil and simmer vigorously for around ten minutes or until pasta is done, stirring occasionally. Stir in your finishing ingredients such as kale, fresh herbs, olives , capers, Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper and toss to combine.
Experiment and find which of your favorite pasta dishes work the best with this easy method of cooking . Bon Appetit!
Bel' Occhio 