Pasta
Rice
Beans
Tomatoes
Cornmeal
Olive Oil
Cooking oils
• When cooking your pasta of choice, add a little salt (no more than a teaspoon) to the water. This lessens your chance of water boiling over the side of the pot.
• Though we do not recommend that you use oil when preparing regular pasta (it prevents the sauce from coating the noodles later) use a teaspoon or two in the water when you are cooking lasagna noodles. This prevents them from sticking together and makes your casserole easier to assemble.
• If you are using pasta in a baked dish, it slightly when you boil it so that it will not be overcooked or mushy after being baked.
• If you wish to make a pasta dish with vegetables, there is no need to cook the vegetables beforehand. Simply add them to your pasta water for the last 4-5 minutes of cooking; making sure the water comes back to a boil. When the pasta and vegetables are cooked, drain them!