KEEPING PASTA HOT

When you are making a pasta dinner, sometimes it seems that by the time you get the meal to the table, everything is hot except the noodles.

If you expect a delay in serving the noodles after you have drained them, place them back into the pan that you cooked them in with just enough water to cover the bottom and keep the noodles from sticking. Place over the burner turned on the lowest setting and cover stirring frequently to prevent sticking.

When you are ready to serve the pasta, just drain off the remaining water. If you are adding sauces or other ingredients to the cooked pasta, return the pasta to the cooking pot after you have drained off all the water, then add the sauce or ingredients. Reheat the pasta over medium heat until the pasta and the sauce are brought to serving temperature.

While you are making dinner, take the bowl that you will be serving the pasta in and fill it with very hot water. Let the bowl stand to absorb the heat from the water. After you drain the water from the pasta, dump the water from the serving bowl also. Wipe out the serving bowl with a soft cloth, and then place your pasta directly into the pre-warmed bowl.