The Process of Cooking Pasta

Cooking pasta is not a simple topic; on the contrary, it is a very serious and important matter. But what exactly is cooking pasta? Cooking pasta refers to a real shape change that occurs in both the product and its constituent parts.

In the process of cooking pasta, the first important factor is water, the second is pasta, the third factor is heat, and the fourth factor is the utensils and equipment used.

During cooking, the starch grains absorb water and swell, forming a gel. Meanwhile, gluten changes its structure, resulting in firmness and stickiness in the pasta. All the good qualities and characteristics of pasta occur when gluten is of good quality and in the right amount, and is well distributed in the product. Otherwise, the starch components (amylose and amylopectin) will leach out of the product, causing stickiness. In low-quality products, a large amount of free sugars is formed on the surface of the product due to the breakdown of starch during the flour-making process or the pasta production process, which causes the cooking water to become cloudy and ultimately leads to stickiness in the pasta. Since cooking changes the physical properties of the product and initiates a series of chemical reactions, the characteristics of the cooking water are very important.

In most large pasta manufacturing factories, there are usually no chemical controls on the water used for cooking pasta. Distilled water generally has the best quality for cooking pasta, but this is only applicable for laboratory technicians and cannot be implemented at home. The water used for cooking pasta is generally well water or river water, which has differences in hardness and alkalinity compared to distilled water, and in some cases has a high amount of calcium and magnesium, which significantly affect the starch grains. Additionally, regular salt has negative effects on pasta and reduces its stability.

For using hard water, it is better to boil it first, then cool it and filter it, so that the calcium and magnesium that have precipitated will be separated. Then return the water for cooking pasta to the cooking pot.

The acidity level of the water is also important. If the water is slightly acidic (for example, around 6), the pasta will suffer less damage during cooking.

The Best Method for Cooking Pasta

Now, let's address the topic of heat. It should be noted that the cliché phrase found in cookbooks stating "the water must be boiling before adding the pasta" does not need to be executed word for word. Most importantly, it is not necessary for the water to be boiling throughout the entire cooking time. Rather, the temperature of the water during cooking should always be kept a few degrees below the boiling point, or in other words, it should not exceed 96 degrees Celsius. By adhering to these conditions, the effects of heat on the structure of the product will be reduced. It will also prevent excessive expansion of the starch grains and create a balance between the strength of the gluten and the force generated by the expansion of the starch. Additionally, it prevents the effects of boiling and agitation of the water. The best method is low heat and covering the pot while cooking the pasta.

The above recommendations will be valuable when using relatively low-quality pasta or pasta made from soft wheat, although these issues are fundamental principles that must be observed to cook the best pasta. If we want to cook pasta for a large number of people, we must carefully control the water temperature to keep it well below the boiling point, and monitoring the chemical characteristics of the water is very necessary.

The last and not least important issue is adhering to the conditions of the pasta cooking pot. Initially, narrow and tall pots were used for cooking pasta, but now more modern and equipped utensils are used, which have a strainer or colander inside the cooking pot, eliminating the need to drain the pasta into another container, and they have a lid that remains closed throughout the cooking process, allowing the water temperature to be well controlled.

The best ratio between the product and water is 1 to 10, meaning for every 100 grams of product, one liter of water is needed. Stirring during cooking to prevent stickiness should be minimized and should be done gently. If the product is of good quality, there will be no issues with sticking. A very gentle initial stir is sufficient; if the pasta quality is medium or poor, stirring during cooking must be done.

Classic Pasta Cooking

Classic pasta cooking requires precision, delicacy, and utensils made of wood. It is better to stir the water gently while cooking and to avoid stirring that involves contact with the product. The amount of stirring depends on the type and quality of the product.

To reduce thermal and mechanical stresses, if the pasta does not have high strength, adding a tablespoon of olive oil to the cooking water will work wonders.

The reduction in nutritional value due to cooking pasta has led many researchers from various parts of the world to study the nutritional value of pasta. However, it should be noted that the proteins, which we know a lot about, are not the main nutrient in pasta in terms of quantity and quality. Firstly, the protein content does not exceed 13 percent under the best conditions. Moreover, the amount of essential amino acids that the body cannot produce is found in small amounts in these proteins. Pasta typically loses about 3 percent of its proteins during cooking, most of which are water-soluble proteins.

If the boiling intensity of the water is high, the mechanical impact of the water washes the surface of the pasta, causing not only the soluble proteins but also the surface starches and sugars resulting from the breakdown of starch on the surface of the pasta, as well as the gluten that has weakened due to high temperatures, to be separated from the surface and enter the water.

In this regard, it should be noted that, as mentioned above, increasing the nutritional value of pasta or enriching it with various proteins is not a valuable practice since most of these proteins will leach out of the product and enter the cooking water, which also applies to minerals and elements. However, pasta still contains high nutritional value.

Sodium and potassium are reduced by about 50-65 percent, but the remaining amounts of iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and copper are higher, with their reduction being around 20-25 percent.

The amount of vitamins also decreases, which should be considered one of the unsolvable problems since the resistance of vitamins to boiling water is low, and most of them are water-soluble. For example, B group vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, and pantothenic acid) decrease by about 40-50 percent.

However, we should not be worried about this, nor should we keep the cooking water as a healing remedy; on the contrary, we should discard it. Pasta has an indispensable component called sauce, which can help restore the lost nutrients and create a balance in the nutrients of the pasta.

Cooking Pasta in Large Kitchens

After what has been explained so far, it is clear what specifications the pots should have, and adhering to the following points seems essential:

Cooking pasta should be done at a controlled temperature, at least 4 degrees below the boiling point of water, to minimize losses due to the leaching of starch and protein.

Selecting a pot with sufficient volume to add an adequate amount of water to fully maintain the 1 to 10 ratio.

Stirring the pasta during cooking should be done gently and completely controlled, and this action should be based on the type and shape of the pasta and the chemical characteristics of the cooking water.

Throughout the entire cooking time of the pasta, the lid of the cooking pot should remain closed, and if possible, the automatic and gentle draining of the cooking water should be used in such a way that no mechanical stress is applied to the cooked product.

Finally, adhering to all hygiene points for the utensils and containers and the individuals who are in any way in contact with the cooking of pasta is essential.

Now, various companies produce the necessary equipment for cooking pasta. In these pots, the temperature of the water and the intensity of stirring the water are completely controlled, and the draining of the cooking water is done automatically at a specified time, with a thermostat maintaining the water temperature at 96 degrees Celsius throughout the cooking process to minimize losses due to leaching of materials.

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