Cooking advice

What is the correct amount of pasta per person?

The correct dose for an adult is approx. 60 g: we should not forget that we’re dealing with pulses. Furthermore, when cooked in water, this pasta is re-hydrated and increases its volume, unlike meat that loses liquids during cooking, reducing its volume.

A pack of 250 g contains 4 generous adult portions

Tips for cooking the Classic shapes

The classic shapes of the Pastificio Fiorentino are ready after six minutes of cooking.

How much salt should I add?

1 | 10 | 100

remember this easy rule to obtain pasta that has just the right amount of salt every time!
To adjust the quantity of salt to be added to the cooking water, simply follow these doses:

1 litre of water
10 grams of salt
100 grams of pasta.

Dead simple!

How large should the pan be?

It is important to bear in mind that during cooking it is natural for scum to form. This is a normal phenomenon due to the presence of pulses, which makes it essential to use a pan with a capacity of at least three times the volume of water added.

The best type of pan is high and wide.

Should I cook on a high or low heat?

The hob ring should be suited to the pan size. If the hob ring is too small, it will not allow the water to boil quickly, while if the heat is too high with respect to the pan capacity, it could cause the water to overspill during cooking.

Our advice is to pour the water in the pan, place on a suitable hob ring, and turn it to the highest setting to accelerate boiling time. It is best to wait for the water to boil before adding salt. Then wait two to three minutes until the water comes back to the boil, and at this point lower the heat, taking care not to stop the water from boiling.

It is now possible to add the pasta, stirring very delicately at the start.

If too much scum forms, it is a sign that the heat is too high and you will have to lower the heat until the scum starts to disappear. The Pulse Pasta of Pastificio Fiorentino is ready to be drained after about six minutes.

Any time-saving tips?

Put the lid on the pan to bring the water to the boil faster: once the water starts to boil, lower the heat, add the salt and cover until it comes back to the boil.

Variant for preparations with cold pasta

For recipes using cold pasta, in addition to the instructions above, we recommend adding about one teaspoon of Extra-Virgin olive oil for each litre of water, before adding the pasta. In this case, the pasta should also be drained after a cooking time of just 5 minutes.

Tips for cooking the Risoni shapes

Due to the presence of 25% wholegrain rice flour of the Carnaroli variety as well as 75% pulse flour, the risoni pulse pasta shapes can be cooked and used in the usual way as rice.

To cook like boiled rice

To cook risoni pulse pasta like boiled rice, use the same method indicated for our classic shapes, which consists mainly in cooking in plenty of boiling, salted water. When the water starts to boil, add the risoni pasta, stir, and bring back to the boil quickly. Drain the rice when it is 'al dente' and serve immediately, adding your preferred sauce/topping.

To cook like risotto

Cooking risotto consists of three very important steps:

Toasting

Toasting is the step that makes the difference between risotto and boiled rice, as it allows the grain to be "sealed" and the right amount of starch to be released. Among the rules on how to cook risotto, the most controversial regards the matter of sautéing. If you prefer to begin with a ‘soffritto’, first sauté some finely chopped onion, shallot or leek in order to ensure an even consistency of all ingredients when cooked.

Brown the chopped onion in a little butter, then add the rice and toast well for about 3 minutes to ensure it absorbs the fat. Normally, a little white wine is added and allowed to evaporate completely.

Those who prefer to dry-toast their rice add wine only at a later point. Many schools of thought maintain that rice should be dry-roasted, so that the moisture from the soffritto does not impair the outer seal of the grain.

In this case you will need two pans: One for the soffritto and one for dry-toasting the rice. Also in this case, the toasting process takes about 3 minutes. Then add the toasted rice to the soffritto, deglaze with wine and cook.

Cooking

Rice is cooked over a medium heat, adding boiling stock gradually as it is absorbed and stirring frequently. It is in fact essential that during cooking the grains are always covered with stock, so they release starch and do not break. The stock must be boiling to avoid continually blocking the cooking process.

’Mantecatura’ or creaming

Once cooked, remove from the heat and add some butter or extra-virgin olive oil and some grated Parmigiano, if desired, mixing well to obtain the typical creamy consistency of risotto, not too liquid and not too compact.

What kind of pot should be used for cooking like risotto?

The right pot for a good risotto should be made of copper, but steel or aluminium are also fine, as long as they spread the heat evenly. The pan should be sufficiently large, with medium-high sides, so that the risoni pasta and stock can form a layer of three to four inches.

Other uses and cooking

As indicated above, due to the presence of 25% wholegrain rice flour of the Carnaroli variety as well as 75% pulse flour, risoni pulse pasta can be cooked and used in all the ways used for more traditional types of rice. It can therefore be used for supplì (Italian snacks consisting of a ball of rice with tomato sauce, typical of Roman cuisine), as a stuffing, and for very particular traditional recipes such as Sicilian arancini (crispy, deep-fried balls of rice with a meat filling), paella valenciana or de marisco, tiella barese (an Apulian speciality with rice, potatoes and mussels), and many more.

Tips for cooking the Gourmet shapes

For the gourmet shapes: calamarata and paccheri, follow the same guidelines for cooking the classic shapes. The paccheri can also be prepared using other methods.

Filled or baked paccheri

Paccheri can replace cannelloni in all recipes that call for stuffed pasta and, more generally, we also recommend them for use in any baked pasta recipe, adding your favourite sauce or topping. The paccheri should first be cooked in plenty of boiling, salted water for just a few minutes, about half the cooking time stated on the packet. Drain and place on a clean cloth and spread out so that they do not stick together. Then fill and pour over the topping according to the chosen recipe and bake in the oven as indicated.

Fried paccheri

Fried paccheri are the perfect finger food for an informal evening. An easy-to-make, mouth-watering dish with a creamy filling. To prepare, first cook the paccheri in plenty of boiling, salted water and drain 5 minutes before the cooking time stated on the packet. Once ready, stuff the paccheri and dip first in beaten egg and then in breadcrumbs, repeating this process starting with the egg. Then fry in plenty of seed oil at a temperature of about 170°.