Are you a true pasta lover? Here are three little secrets for the perfect mantecatura. In Italian, ‘mantecare’ means mixing a sauce or ingredients for a creamy and full-bodied consistency. Mantecatura is a quick process carried out at the end of cooking, allowing all the ingredients to bind together. Remember, this is for dry pasta only.
One. Water and salt
First of all, always remember to boil dry pasta in plenty of salted water, following the rule of "10, 100 and 1000.” Are you familiar? The “10, 100 and 1000” rule means you should always use ½ oz salt, 4 oz pasta, and 4 cups water when boiling pasta. In case the sauce already contains salt, you may not need to add it.
Two. Pasta cooking time
For a perfect mantecatura, it is important to drain the pasta 3-4 minutes before the time indicated on the package. You’ll then continue cooking with whatever sauce you’ve chosen, gradually adding the cooking water from the pasta – the main trick for mantecatura. In fact, the starch released in the cooking water acts as a sort of "natural glue,” giving the sauce an irresistibly creamy consistency.
Three. Seasoning
Once the pasta has reached the right consistency, remove it from the heat and add a fatty ingredient: With oil, your dish will taste more intense, while with butter, it will be a little sweeter. Depending on the recipe, you can add some grated cheese for flavor and consistency. Finally, sauté all ingredients in a frying pan to create a sort of emulsion. Serve warm and enjoy!