Join the debate on the best pasta sauce with guest Dan Pashman. Explore unique pasta shapes, pesto origins, and pasta water secrets. Laugh at pasta fusion dishes and learn about Dan's new cookbook.
Pasta shape impacts sauce adherence, favoring shapes with nooks and crannies for better retention.
Cooking pasta with minimal water enhances starch concentration, improving sauce adherence and boiling efficiency.
Utilizing alternative methods like flour slurry for emulsification offers innovative approaches in pasta dish preparation.
Deep dives
Angel Hair Pasta
Angel hair pasta is criticized for being mushy and lacking bite, with its thin texture and slippery feel disliked by many. Although it can be challenging to cook correctly due to its quick cooking time, it can be enjoyable when prepared properly, such as using it in fusion dishes like Avko Lemonoe Ramen.
Pasta Shapes with Big Holes
Preference for pasta shapes with big holes like elbows or cavatappi over ziti or rigatoni due to the more favorable texture and structure for sauce adherence. The sentiment leans towards shapes with nooks and crannies that provide better sauce retention and eating experience.
Cooking Pasta Like Rice
Suggesting the method of cooking pasta with minimal water, akin to preparing rice, as a way to enhance the starch concentration for improved sauce adherence and quicker boiling. This technique focuses on concentrated starch for better emulsification and coherent sauces.
Lasagna
Debates around lasagna highlight the labor-intensive process and potential challenges of the dish falling apart when served. Alternative methods like baking in a sheet pan to maintain layers or exploring various twists on traditional preparation can offer a more manageable and enjoyable lasagna experience.
Pasta Water Usage
The discussion on utilizing pasta water in cooking acknowledges its impact on sauce emulsification and flavor enhancement. Innovative approaches, like using a flour slurry for emulsification instead of traditional pasta water, showcase alternative methods to achieve desired consistency and flavor in pasta dishes.
Today, Josh and Nicole team up with Dan Pashman to uncover the ultimate pasta sauce, diving deep into flavors and controversies.
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