The Best Pasta Pot Is Actually a Dutch Oven (2024)
In movies, you see pasta made one of two ways. There’s either a towering aluminum pot, as large as a small home, holding what seems like 14 pounds of spaghetti and red sauce, which is being dished out to a large group of people. (Maybe even a high school football team?) Or there’s a small skillet, being meticulously stirred in a professional kitchen as a small portion of expensive pasta is added to the sauce, possibly in slow motion, and plated artfully on a glistening dish. That’s movie pasta, made in either a giant pot or a small skillet. But in real life, we make pasta in a Dutch oven, because when you’re cooking a pound of pasta, it’s the best option you have.
If you’ve never used a Dutch oven to make pasta, that’s totally cool. This isn’t some new, scary experience you have to prepare for. All you have to do is switch one pot for another. But why are we telling you to do this? Well, there are a few reasons. Let’s dive in.
The most convincing reason that the Dutch oven is the best pasta pot has to do with its size and shape. When we make pasta, we like to finish it, cooked just short of al dente, in the same pan that we've made our sauce in, where it can become fully coated with our beautifully-emulsified pasta sauce. And here's the thing: Tossing a whole pound of pasta in a regular ol' skillet, filled with a bunch of other ingredients, is a recipe for disaster—the pasta ends up flying everywhere. A Dutch oven is one of the few vessels in our kitchen that is large enough and has high enough sides to facilitate all of those carbs being tossed around without losing one single precious noodle.
And less mess should be enough of a reason to make the switch to the Dutch oven for finishing pastas. But if you need one more, another enabler for your laziness, Dutch ovens are great for serving as well. Just wipe up the edges, put a towel down on your table, and plop that big old pot of pasta in front of everyone. Buon appetito, as they say.
has to do with its size and shape. When we make pasta, we like to finish it, cooked just short of al dente, in the same pan that we've made our sauce in, where it can become fully coated with our beautifully-emulsified pasta sauce.
This timeless piece of cookware is ideal for letting pasta simmer slowly in delicious sauces until it is ready to be served. Its enamelled interior makes cleanup easy as sauce will not stick to the Dutch Oven's corners.
Dutch ovens have thicker walls and lids compared to stock pots. Dutch ovens can withstand higher temperatures and versatile cooking methods such as stovetop, high - temperature ovens, campfire cooking, and cooking with coals.
A Dutch oven is your ticket for braises, since its cast iron core retains and evenly distributes heat. It can also easily go from the oven to the stove. A stock pot can go in the oven, but its typically tall sides may make that a potentially awkward fit, so it's better left on the stove top.
Because enameled Dutch ovens are typically made out of cast iron, they can get scorching hot and retain that heat well, meaning they're great for searing all kinds of foods, including meats and veggies. A Dutch oven can stand in for a deep fryer when you need a large amount of oil.
And while there are plenty of sizes to choose from, like oval Dutch ovens, or shallow Dutch ovens, Cimarusti prefers the classic Le Creuset 5.5-quart Dutch oven. “The attention to detail is just great,” he says. If a Michelin-starred chef uses one everyday, it's worth adding to your kitchen.
Explore versatile alternatives to Dutch ovens for your cooking needs: stock pots, casserole dishes, slow cookers, roasting pans, cast iron skillets, and clay pots. Adjust cooking techniques and monitor closely when using substitutes.
Another thing that sets a Dutch oven apart from standard pots is its versatility. Again, you can use a Dutch oven to make soups and stews or to braise meat. You can also use it to bake bread, prepare sauce, cook pasta, and pretty much anything you would use another pot for, in addition to its specialty uses.
Dutch Ovens tend to look like regular stock pots but with a wider base and shorter walls. Their design makes it an incredibly versatile piece of cookware. Traditionally, Dutch Ovens were made of seasoned cast iron.
Dutch ovens are all-purpose pots that can effortlessly go from stovetop to oven. They're great for searing, frying, braising, and baking. Even better, they come in a rainbow of colors to complement any kitchen.
Dutch Ovens are way more versatile than Slow Cookers. Not only can you make stews like you could in a Slow Cooker, but you can also bake bread, build a pasta sauce, sear meat, sauté vegetables, and plenty more.
It produces high-quality cast iron pieces, meaning they retain heat well, and they're coated with enamel, which makes cleanup very easy and enhances the variety of rich colors Le Creuset offers.
Simmer, boil, steam: On a basic level, a Dutch oven is just a heavy-duty pot with a lid. So any cooking method that can be performed in a typical pot, can be done in a Dutch oven as well. Think simmering soups, steaming rice, boiling water for pasta, etc.
Can You Cook Pasta In A Dutch Oven? Just like any other vessel that you bring water to a boil, a Dutch oven is perfect for cooking pasta. Since these pots are also perfect to create sauces, they'll be ideal to add your pasta once the sauce is cooked.
Another thing that sets a Dutch oven apart from standard pots is its versatility. Again, you can use a Dutch oven to make soups and stews or to braise meat. You can also use it to bake bread, prepare sauce, cook pasta, and pretty much anything you would use another pot for, in addition to its specialty uses.
I've been asked many times if the black rim around the top of an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven is bare iron. Typically, it is black, matte-finish enamel and will not rust. It's Non-Reactive: Enameled cast iron will not react with acidic foods, such as those made with tomatoes, wine, vinegar, or citrus.
The dutch oven is also great for deep or shallow frying your crispy, golden favorites or creative new recipes such as Deep Fried Cappuccino Pastry S'mores. For shallow frying, add about an inch of oil and for deep frying fill the dutch oven about halfway with oil.
The casserole dish and Dutch oven boast incredible versatility in the kitchen. From low and slow oven cooking to curries and braised meat dishes, both casserole dishes and Dutch ovens can handle almost anything the recipe calls for while doing it well.
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