| What do I mean with Italian pasta tips? Well, I mean all those small details that are not written on the labels and that can help you be successful in your cooking experience. Italian cuisine is simple. There are a few complex dishes, but it is mostly simple. What makes it so good then? The quality of the ingredients used. Good quality cheese, good quality meat, good quality vegetables, good quality oil, and.. good quality pasta! Pasta must be done using durum wheat. In some countries there are pasta made with common wheat and do you know what happens? It is no tasty and it does not resist to cooking, becoming too soft. So, if you decide to make pasta at home, buy the right wheat, right? How much pasta should I cook for dnner? Well, the restaurants' measure uses to be about 80gr per person. At home we commonly use 100gr per person. It will also depend on the appetite and if pasta is the only dish or if it comes with other sides. What kind of pasta should I use?There are no fixed rules, but there are many "advices".For example, pasta
aglio e olio - garlic and oil
is always spaghetti! The same for seafood ... understand why they're named seafood spaghetti?
The
pasta al pesto
can be done with any pasta, but it is better with short ones because it is easier to mix, as the cheese and pine nuts could stick using long pasta as spaghetti or other.
Pasta all'amatriciana
, in its original version, is done with bucatini (kind of huge spaghetti with a hole in its middle). It is good, but often it is done using tortiglioni (short shape), as bucatini uses to easily stain the eater's clothes! If you are cooking fresh pasta, it is better to add some oil (about a spoon) to the salted water. It will avoid pasta to stick one with another. But it doesn't mean you don't have to mix it once in a while. If you are seasoning your pasta with tomato sauce, try adding some grated Grana Padano before adding the sauce. Mix it and then add the sauce. Use the pan you cooked it to mix it easily and better. After mixing, put it on the serving plate and take it to the table. Do not forget the cooking time. When you begin to appreciate a well cooked pasta (I mean cooked for the right time, al dente), you will not accept too cooked pasta anymore! It is like our mind, when it opens, it is not possible to go back! Pay attention when you buy fresh ravioli or other stuffed pasta. This pasta has to be done using eggs. Otherwise, during the boiling, they will open and loose their stuff. | 
