Delicious pasta

Hi friends,
Sorry I'm a day late with the secret to restaurant-quality pasta, but the simple tip is worth the wait.  You can use this for any type of pasta whether it be home made, store bought refrigerated, or store bought boxed.  I usually use boxed (it's so much cheaper).

All you have to do is cook your pasta 2-3 minutes shy of al dente.  Drain it and place it in a high-sided saute pan and finish cooking the pasta in your sauce (whatever that sauce may be) with a little pasta cooking water added.  The pasta has time to absorb some of the flavors of the sauce.  Try it, it makes a big difference.  If using home made pasta and you don't have the time for it to dry - I suggest cooking the pasta directly in the sauce.

As an added bonus - here is a recipe for a lovely sauce.  The dish (when using boxed pasta) costs approximately $2.50 per serving.  As I've listed it, the recipe serves 6 with some leftovers.  Add a simple salad and some garlic bread and you're all set.

Here's your ingredient list:

• 2 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin is preferred but use whatever you have on hand)
• 4 oz chopped bacon (the original recipe called for pancetta or unsmoked bacon but I used turkey bacon)
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp black pepper (freshly ground is always preferred but I used regular pepper out of a shaker)
• 3/4 cup minced onion
• 2 minced gloves garlic
• 1 28-oz can tomatoes -whole canned tomatoes are preferred but I used crushed and the sauce was just fine
• 1 lb pasta - whatever type or shape you prefer
• 1/4 cup grated cheese (whatever type you prefer)

Heat the oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium heat.  Add the bacon and saute until crisp (about 4 minutes).  Add the pepper flakes and black pepper and stir for a few seconds.  Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft.  This will take around 8 minutes - make sure you stir the sauce every now and then.

While you are cooking the sauce, you should have your pasta going.  When it is 2-3 minutes short of al dente, drain it (reserving around 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid) and pour it into the pot with the sauce. Toss the pasta into the sauce and add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta liquid.  Cook for a few minutes (3 or 4) until the pasta is cooked to your liking.  While cooking, if the sauce seems too dry, add a little more of the reserved pasta liquid. 

When the pasta is finished, sprinkle in your grated cheese, stir, and transfer to serving bowls.

Happy eating.
Karen