I shan’t deal with fresh pasta here, on the grounds that if you can make your own pasta, you won’t need this book to help you. So this information is about dried pasta and noodles.
Rule of thumb
Allow 4–5oz/100–125g of dried pasta per person for a main course.
The instructions ought to be on the packet. But what if you’ve lost the packet, or it’s written in Italian and you can’t read it? Brands vary but, in the absence of other directions, this chart should help. For any variety not listed here, just find the most similar one you can. Bear in mind that wholewheat pasta will take a lot longer to cook (and still be virtually uneatable, but that’s just my view). Just for fun I’ve included what the names mean. Cooking times are from when the water comes back to the boil after putting the pasta in.
Variety |
Cooking time (mins) |
Meaning |
Capellini |
6 |
Fine hairs (known as ‘angel hair’) |
Conchiglie, large |
14 |
Shells |
Conchiglie, medium or small |
10 |
Shells |
Farfalle |
12 |
Butterflies |
Fettucine |
12 |
Little ribbons |
Fusilli |
12 |
Little spindles |
Gnocchi |
10 |
Lumps |
Lasagne |
5 |
From the Latin for ‘pot’ |
Linguine |
11 |
Little tongues |
Macaroni |
14 |
Unknown (even to Italians) |
Manicotti |
12 |
Little muffs |
Mostaccioli |
14 |
Little moustaches |
Orecchiette |
11 |
Little ears |
Penne |
11 |
Quills |
Radiatore |
10 |
Radiators |
Rigatoni |
14 |
From the Italian for ‘grooves’ |
Rotini |
9 |
Spirals |
Ruote |
11 |
Cartwheels |
Strozzapreti |
11 |
Priest stranglers |
Spaghetti |
9 |
Length of cord |
Tagliatelle |
7 |
From the Italian for ‘cut’ |
Vermicelli |
6 |
Little worms |
Ziti |
14 |
Bridegrooms |
If you have bought fresh pasta and want to know how long to cook it for, you need to take account of the thickness the heat has to penetrate. Fresh pasta cooks quickly and something like tagliatelle or farfalle will cook in 2–3 minutes. Stuffed pastas such as ravioli and tortellini will take around 8 minutes.
Chef’s tip
To stop pasta boiling over, grease the top inch of the pan with butter or margarine.
There are lots of theories about adding salt and oil, but essentially what you need to do is to encourage the pasta pieces to separate rather than clog together while cooking. You can achieve this in three ways:
• Allow plenty of water for the pasta to move around in.
• Keep the water well agitated by boiling it hard, not just simmering.
• Give it a stir just after you’ve put it in the water, to separate the pieces, and stir regularly while it cooks.
Once the pasta is cooked, don’t leave it sitting in a colander or it will stick together. Toss it in a little butter or olive oil if you’re not ready to serve it immediately as this will keep it lubricated.
Rule of thumb
Allow at least two pints/1 litre of water per 4oz/100g of dried pasta, but a minimum of 4 pints/2 litres however little you’re cooking.
If you’re like me, you’ll use whatever pasta you have in the cupboard as often as not, and that’s fine. Or just marry your pasta and sauces however you please. But it’s true that certain shapes are designed to go with particular types of sauces. So if you’re entertaining and want to know the best pasta to go with your home made carbonara sauce, or to add to a tuna and bean casserole, here’s a rough guide. It’s all down to the shape.
Shape |
Type of sauce |
Long and thin (eg linguine spaghetti, tagliatelli) |
Light, thin sauces that coat the, pasta, such as carbonara, olive oil-based sauces, butter etc |
Short and tubular (eg macaroni, penne, rigatoni) |
Thick sauces that will fill the tubes, such as bolognese, tomato, cheese, smooth vegetable sauces etc |
Shapes (eg conchiglie, farfalle, radiatore) |
Textured, lumpy sauces where the chunks get caught in the irregular shapes of the pasta, such as chunky vegetable, seafood or bean sauces |
I know spaghetti bolognese breaks these guidelines. That just shows that rules are there to be broken.
Broadly speaking pulses are divided into beans, peas and lentils. They generally come either dried or tinned. Obviously you need to read any instructions that come with them, but generally you can use tinned varieties straight from the tin, while dried pulses need soaking, or cooking in liquid for some time.
Rule of thumb
Soak dried pulses in about three times their own volume of water.
There are lots of types of dried beans all of which can be used in soups and casseroles. Most of them need to be washed, then soaked (assume overnight unless otherwise indicated on the packet), and then cooked. Here’s a guide to the most common varieties, how long they take to cook, and how to use them.
Variety |
Cooking time |
Uses |
Aduki |
40 mins |
Soups, salads, red bean paste for filling pancakes |
Black |
1 hour |
Salads, soups, stews and good with rice. A good substitute for red kidney beans |
Black-eyed |
11/2 hours |
Mostly used in Indian, African and Carribean cooking |
Borlotti |
11/2 hours |
Used in Italian cooking for salads, soups and pasta dishes |
Butter |
11/2 hours |
Good in mixed bean salads and stews |
Cannellini |
11/2 hours |
Soups, stews and casseroles |
Flageolet |
11/2 hours |
Good in salads |
Haricot |
11/2 hours |
These are what baked beans are. Good for cassoulets, soups, salads or purées |
Mung |
1 hour |
These don’t need soaking. Often used sprouted in salads and stir-frys |
Pinto |
11/2 hours |
Used in Mexican cooking, and soups and stews |
Red kidney |
11/2 hours |
The classic ingredient in chilli con carne, they are also good in spicy and hearty stews |
Soya |
3–4 hours |
High in protein (if they’ve been boiled for a good hour to destroy the substance that inhibits protein absorbtion) but bland, so use in dishes with other stronger flavours |
Chef’s tip
Don’t add salt to dried beans before or during cooking as this can make them tough. If you want to add salt, do it at the end of the cooking process.
Red kidney beans, traditionally used in chilli con carne among other things, are one of the varieties requiring special treatment. They contain an enzyme which can cause food poisoning. You can prevent this by soaking the dried beans overnight, washing them, and then bringing them to the boil before cooking them at a boil for at least 40 minutes. Alternatively – if you’re in a hurry – you can start by boiling them hard for 40 minutes, and then cover and soak them for 4 hours (so still not great if you’re in a big hurry).
Tinned varieties should already have been treated so you can use them straight from the tin, but always check the side of the tin for directions. The same applies to aduki, black, black-eyed and soya beans.
There are three main types of dried peas:
• Blue peas (or marrowfat peas) are slightly floury and keep their shape when you cook them.
• Chick peas look almost more like a nut, and taste nutty too. They also keep their shape when cooked.
• Split peas can be either yellow or green, and taste sweeter than blue or chick peas. They will cook down to a purée well and are often used in soups, or simply served as a purée. They should be soaked first for 1–2 hours, and will then cook in an hour.
Dried lentils (unlike peas and beans, I’ve never seen a fresh lentil) come in a wide range of colours in the green/yellow/red/brown spectrum. If you’re wondering whether to use the packet you’ve just found at the back of the cupboard, the only really significant question (apart from the sell by date) is whether they’ll hold their shape or cook down to a purée.
Rule of thumb
Green or brown lentils generally retain their shape well when you cook them, while yellow and red lentils usually cook down to a purée.
You don’t need to soak lentils, though you will need to wash them and pick out any discoloured ones. The mushy ones are often used to thicken curries, and all varieties can be used for soups and casseroles.
These dark green lentils are considered to be the most gourmet variety, and are often served as an accompaniment for meat, poultry and fish. They don’t need soaking, cook in about half an hour, and hold their shape well.
It’s a staple food in many parts of the world, so how come lots of us find it so damnably difficult to get right? Part of the solution is to use the right kind of rice for the dish you’re cooking. So here’s a round up of the most common types, how long they take to cook, and how to use them.
Rice |
Cooking time (mins) |
Uses |
Basmati |
20 (boiling) |
Indian variety, but actually a great all-rounder and the easiest to cook without the grains sticking together |
Brown |
40 (boiling) |
Only the outer husk is removed so this is very nutritious. Tasty but chewy |
Long grain white |
20 (boiling) |
Well cooked, this is the classic fluffy rice. |
Risotto (eg arborio, carnaroli) |
25 (boiling) |
Named because it’s ideal in risotto as it can absorb masses of liquid without cooking down to mush |
Short grain |
11/2 hrs (in the oven) |
Pudding rice. Sticks because it’s very starchy, which makes it good for puddings |
Sticky |
15–20 (steaming) |
Another pudding variety that is used in chinese cooking. It’s easier to pick up with chopsticks because it’s sticky |
Thai fragrant |
20–25 (boiling) |
Mildly fragrant long grained variety that is slightly sticky, and used in Thai cooking |
Wild |
50 (boiling) |
Technically a grass seed rather than a rice. It’s dark brown and hard work to eat on its own but very tasty mixed in with another variety. Sometimes used as the basis of stuffing for poultry |
Rule of thumb
Allow about 3oz/75g rice per serving.
Some varieties, of course, are supposed to be sticky. But if you want your rice to come out fluffy with all the grains easily separated, here’s what to do:
• start with a rice such as long grain white or basmati which is low in starch
• use plenty of water
• keep the rice boiling well (but not overly fast) so the grains are agitated, and the starch is well dispersed in the water
• don’t overcook it
You can cook fluffy rice using what is known as the ‘absorbtion method’ but if you haven’t yet perfected unsticky rice by boiling you might want to wait before you progress to this. The idea, if you do it (and it does retain more flavour and nutrients) is:
• measure water to three times the volume of the rice and bring it to the boil in a pan with a tight-fitting lid
• when it comes to the boil, add the rice
• as soon as it comes back to the boil, reduce the heat
• boil it for 15 minutes without lifting the lid (losing the steam messes up the timing)
• at the end of this time the rice should have absorbed all the water and be fluffy and cooked
Or, of course, burnt to the bottom of the pan which you couldn’t have checked for as you’re not supposed to lift the lid. That’s why this is the advanced method. Practise it on the family before cooking it for guests you want to impress.
For how to salvage sticky or burnt rice, see here.
Occasionally you may find yourself taken with an urge to cook something rustic sounding like buckwheat, or to find a use for that half packet of millet left over from some recipe you’ve forgotten. If you’re not in the habit of cooking with a particular grain you may not know what to do with it. So here’s a basic rundown.
Pearl barley can be added to soups and stews (such as Scotch broth) and will cook to tender in about an hour. It has a slightly nutty taste and is slightly chewy. Barley meal and barley flour can be added to wheat flour when you’re making bread.
This is traditional in blinis and can be used for pancakes. It’s also good in rice dishes and stuffings.
This is pre-cooked cracked wheat. You can use it as you would rice, and it’s the basis of the Lebanese salad tabbouleh. As it’s already cooked it only needs rehydrating by covering with hot water for about 25 minutes.
You can use cornmeal to make corn bread. It’s also sold as polenta, which you put in boiling water and simmer until it is the consistency of porridge. This takes about 45 minutes, although you can get quick-cook varieties that take only 7 or 8 minutes. It’s almost completely tasteless, but a good vehicle for other flavours such as butter, olive oil or herbs. If you leave it to go cold you can slice it and grill or fry it.
Coarse ground corn meal is sometimes called hominy. Cornflour is used as a thickening agent, usually combined with a little cold water and then added to whatever you’re trying to thicken, generally at the end of the cooking process.
This is actually grains of semolina coated in flour. It’s a traditional Moroccan staple, cooked and served with meat or vegetable stews or tagines. Traditionally couscous is steamed more than once. However you’re likely to have bought ready-steamed couscous. Follw the directions on the packet assuming you have them; it’s likely you just need to add boiling water and leave for about 10 minutes until the couscous grains swell.
You can use this like brown rice. If you have flakes you can add these to soups and stews.
This very Scottish grain comes in three grades: coarse (or pinhead), medium and fine.
• Pinhead oatmeal is good in soups and stews.
• Medium is used for porridge (it needs plenty of soaking first) or combined with wheat flour for breadmaking.
• Fine oatmeal can go into scones and biscuits.
You’re likely to buy this as rye flour, which goes into bread. It can replace wheat flour or be used with it. Coarse ground rye flour is used in pumpernickel bread. You might also get rye flakes, which can be used as porridge (much like oat flakes) or in muesli.
This is the starchy stem of the sago palm formed into pearls. It is cooked similarly to pudding rice.
This is a by-product of the wheat milling process, and is used to produce couscous (see above). Medium ground semolina is often used to make puddings, rather like a pudding rice. The fine ground variety is an ingredient of a type of Italian gnocchi.
This is very similar to sago (see above) and is made from the root of the cassava plant.
This is one of the most nutritious parts of the wheat grain, and one that is removed in refining wheat flour. You can add it to bread or sprinkle it on cereal.
Another healthy part of the wheat grain lost in the refining process. Add it to cereal or yoghurt. You can buy it toasted or raw; keep the raw stuff in the fridge or it will go off quickly.
Very broadly flours are divided into two types, soft and hard, or strong. Soft flour is used to make cakes and biscuits because it is light. Strong flour is heavier, and is used for breadmaking because the gluten in it is able to stretch and incorporate the air bubbles needed in a yeast dough. Here are the main flours you may have in your cupboard, and what to use them for. You may have flours that combine some of these terms, such as strong wholemeal flour, or plain white flour.
• Plain flour is almost always made from soft wheat in the UK, and produces a really crumbly texture. It is ideal for biscuits, shortcrust pastry and sauces.
• Self-raising flour is made from soft wheat and has had raising agents added to it so that whatever you cook with it will rise – cakes, scones and pastry. You can use it in place of plain flour + baking powder, if that’s what your recipe calls for.
• Strong flour comes from hard wheat varieties and therefore is perfect for producing an elastic dough. It is perfect for breadmaking (it’s often labelled as ‘bread flour’) and is also good for puff, flaky and choux pastry.
• White flour has been refined to remove the coarser particles of wheat, and give a lighter flour which is – as its name suggests – pretty well white. It can be strong, plain or self-raising.
• Wholemeal flour is made using the whole grain of wheat, and therefore contains more fibre and is healthier than white flour. It can be soft or strong, plain or self-raising, and is always heavier than the equivalent white flour. You can mix it half and half with white flour to get the health benefits with a lighter texture. You can use it for pastry, cakes, bread, biscuits and sauces.