Cooking pasta for hot and cold dishes.

Nothing is as tasty as fresh pasta, but the process takes time and effort. The next best thing is to purchase ready to cook noodles.

Photo by cook for today

Noodles come in all shapes, sizes, and ingredients. Choose your favorite and purchase several bags to have on hand for hot and cold entrees and side dishes.

• Check the expiration dates in the grocery store. (Select dates that will give you at least a few months or longer for storage.)
• Once a pasta bag has been opened, close tightly with a twist tie and place it in a zip lock bag for extra protection from the air.

Instructions for cooking pasta:

1. Pour ample water into a pot to cover pasta completely and more.
2. Add 1/2 teaspoon of butter, margarine, or oil to water.
3. Bring the pot of water to a rapid boil.
4. Pour in measured pasta.
5. Mix pasta with a utensil for several seconds to allow each piece of pasta to cook separately to prevent sticking.
6. Test one pasta piece for doneness (tender to the bite).
7. Pour into a colander and rinse with cold water quickly, shaking gently.
8. Let sit in a colander to drain completely.
9. Serve as desired.
10. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered dish.

For cold pasta salads:

1. Cook pasta as instructed previously (steps one thru six).
2. Pour into a colander and rinse with cold water and lots of ice. Mix lightly with a soft spatula until all pasta is cold. Shake colander gently and use paper towels to pat excess moisture off.
3. Pasta is ready for salad preparation.

Diabetic nutrition facts:

1/2 cup of plain pasta is approximately 18 grams of carbohydrate.

Thank you for reading :-)

Disclaimer: My food and nutrition articles are for informational purposes only. Always follow your healthcare provider’s guidance and orders.