How to Cook Pasta and Rice Perfectly

Do you often overcook your pasta or rice? Do you always get the portions wrong, or are you completely new to cooking? Here are some golden rules to follow when cooking pasta and rice.

Make sure to check out The Recipe Hub for meals to serve with your perfectly cooked pasta or rice!

Pasta

1. Measure your portions, so you don’t make too much. One portion is 75g of dried pasta, which is about ½ cup.
2. Pasta expands when cooked, so use a larger pot to give it room to cook.
3. Add water to the pot, without the pasta. Use 500ml for 75g pasta to ensure it’s well covered has enough water to absorb.
4. Add salt to the pasta water to enhance the taste of the pasta and the sauce you serve it with.
5. Cover your pot with a lid to help bring the water to the boil more quickly.
6. Once it’s boiling, add the pasta to the water and cook without the lid.
7. Drain the pasta in a colander over the sink.
8. Now it’s time to toss through your sauce! Adding splashes of the pasta water when with the sauce, as this ensure that the pasta is well coated and the sauce is thickened.

How to cook Pasta

Rice

1. Before cooking, rinse the rice in a sieve to get rid of any excess starch and impurities.
2. Measure the rice with a cup. One serving is 75g.
3. Tip the rice into a pot over a low heat.
4. Add double the amount of water to rice (150ml water for a 75g serving).
5. Bring to a boil, stirring the rice to make sure it’s well distributed.
6. Put a lid on and turn the heat down very low.
7. Simmer gently for 10 mins and do not take the lid off.
8. Check the rice is cooked at the end by trying a grain. Keep cooking for another few minutes if it isn’t ready, then turn the heat off. The water should be absorbed.
9. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.

How to cook rice