Cooking spaghetti

[mandy]

Tonight I was making spaghetti for dinner, and it reminded me of a conversation I had at work last week.

To test whether the pasta is cooked or not, I've always taken out one piece and thrown it against the wall. If it sticks, it's cooked. Nobody had heard of this method.

Tell me someone else does this!

 

[Mooster7]

I've done that a few times to see if it works. It does with most sufaces. Before you experiment, I'll let you know right now that a cat isn't one of those surfaces. Throwing it at the dog will get the pasta eaten, but you will get no accurate feed back as to whether the pasta is done.

There is actually a wall stick time frame. If you overcook it, it won't stick properly just as if it were not quite done. In the US, we prefer overcooked pasta, so the "sticks method" is only for recreation while the spaghetti is still cooking.

Point is, you're not nuts. It works. If I've heard of it, you've heard of it, everyone in between should have heard of it as well. Given the distances, that accounts for just about every pasta eating goon on the rock, eh?

 

[you_idiot]

The method does work, Mandy-- but you better not be living in a rental property. Kinda mucks up the walls.

In that case, your mileage may vary.

I just use a time scale for different types of pasta-- 12 minutes for spaghetti (al dente), 15 minutes for elbow macaroni (my personal favourite) and close to 20 minutes for penne pasta. Then when it looks fairly close to draining the whole lot, I just take a noodle or two and run it under the cold tap water before testing it to my palate to see if it's ready.

Wish I could have had pasta tonight for dinner... but my tummyache is still playing up.

Cheers,
William

 

[coxon]

Originally posted by mandy5
To test whether the pasta is cooked or not, I've always taken out one piece and thrown it against the wall.

i always take out one piece, and put it in my mouth to test if its cooked or not...

and hmm.. no, havent heard of the throw against wall method !~

 

[Blue'n'Gold]

Can't say I throw my food against the wall to test if its cooked... usually I just test it using the old traditional tastebud method

 

[Carlos]

Depends which restaurant i'm in, especially if your table's near a window.

 

[daddy_4_eyes]

Mmmm, spaghetti I think i'll get mum to make it for dinner tonight.

And about the testing part? No, i never throw it against the wall. My dad would have a nervous breakdown if he saw me doing that I just let my brother taste it (as if i'm gonna taste it myself first )

 

[iceman]

umm - sorry, cant say ive tried that method before

i might do now though!!

 

[BluesBabe666]

Heard of it but dont do it!!!!

 

[aggels]

Nah my mother would kill me if I threw it against the wall. Instead I chew on it to make sure it's not chewy. Nothing worse than chewy spaghetti.