tips to a perfect pasta

from philippine star

• when cooking pasta, start with at least one gallon of water for every pound of pasta.
• depending on the pasta, add one tbsp of oil to keep the pasta from sticking, although most italians frown on this practice.
• in general, do not salt the pasta water.
• cook no more than a kilo of pasta at a time.
• the water must be boiling rapidly during the cooking. if it stops boiling, cover it until the boil returns.
• stir as you add the pasta. continue to do so occasionally to keep it from sticking.
• the real question is "when is it done?" pasta should be tasted to know when it is done. fish a strand out and bite it. it should be firm yet tender, with just a tiny chalky white center. al dente - not too soft, not too hard, just right!
  

pata carbonara

from philippine star

1 pkg linguini
4T olive oil
1/4k bacon, cut into 1/4 inches
garlic, finely chopped
6 egg yolks
1 pkg heavy cream
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt / fresh ground pepper
chopped parsley
zest of lemon (optional)

1. cook pasta according to direction. reserve 1 cup cooking water and drain
2. heat a tbsp of oil in a large skillet over medium heat
3. add bacon until golden. set aside
4. reduce heat and add remaining oil. cook the garlic
5. beat the egg yolk, heavy cream and 1/2 cup cheese in a medium bowl until combined
6. add drained hot pasta and bacon to the skillet, and pour the egg mixture over
7. if pasta seems dry, add enough of the reserved cooking water to moisten
8. season liberally with freshly ground pepper

garlic bread

from philippine star

garlic, minced
half butter
half olive oil
chopped parsley
grated parmesan cheese

1. cook the garlic in butter and olive oil, set aside
2. split your crusty french bread in two, brush with the garlic mixture
3. bake until golden brown
4. sprinkle with chopped parsley and grated cheese
   

spaghetti with salmon and basil

from philippine star

2tbsp olive oilgarlic, minced1 tsp crushed red peppera big can whole tomatoes2 cans salmon orr tuna, drainedsalt and freshlyground pepperbasil, choppedbutter
heat the olive oil in a large skillet. add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook over low heat until the garlic is golden, about 3 minutes.
add the whole can of tomatoes and their liquid and summer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickend about 7 minutes.
add the salmon and simmer briefly to heat through; stir gently to keep the salmon in large pieces. season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
toss butter to the cooked pasta. add the salmon sauce, reserved pasta cooking water and basil and toss again.
season to taste and transfer to a warmed bowl and serve at once.

tilapia in garlic and olive oi

rub the tilapia with the crushed garlic, then place in a shallow dish
pour the olive oil over the fish until coated
place the chopped onion on top of the fish
cover the fish and refrigerate overnight
sprinkle the fish with cayenne or white pepper
bake or grill. if grill - wrap the fish and themarinade in aluminum foil.