IMPORTANT NOTICE

Everybody’s low protein diet is different. Always check with your dietitian regarding suitability of particular ingredients in recipes.

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Pasta Cooking Tips

Loprofin Pasta is great to have on hand for a quick and easy weeknight meal, but with a range including fusilli, penne, spaghetti, and lasagne sheets, you’re only limited by your imagination. These tips will make sure your pasta dishes taste their best every time.

Ingredients

  • LP Fusilli
  • LP Penne
  • LP Spaghetti
  • LP Lasagne

Hints for successful Loprofin Pasta

  1. Use a large pan (2/3 full of water) to allow the pasta to expand and circulate freely whilst cooking. If the pan is too small the pasta will stick together and the water may splash out of the pan as it is bubbling.
  2. Add 1 tsp salt to the water for flavour and 15ml oil to keep the pasta separate during cooking.
  3. Ensure the water is boiling vigorously before the pasta is added to the pan.
  4. Gradually add the pasta to the boiling water, so the water stays at the boil. For spaghetti, dip one end of the required quantity into the boiling water until softened, then curl it around the pan gradually until all the pasta is immersed.
  5. Adjust the heat as necessary to keep the water boiling.
  6. During cooking, stir occasionally with a wooden spoon to keep the pasta from sticking together.
  7. One average adult serving is 75g dry pasta or 100g cooked pasta.

Cooking Times

  1. Fusilli: 8-10 minutes
  2. Penne: 8-10 minutes
  3. Spaghetti: 6-7 minutes
  4. Lasagne sheets: precook 5 minutes
  5. Lasagne sheets may also be used directly in a dish without precooking. Layer with sauces in the usual way and bake for 30-40 minutes in a preheated oven, as specified in the recipe.

Pasta Tips

  1. Near the end of cooking, test often to check that the pasta is ready. The texture should be firm but tender or ‘al dente’.
  2. When draining the pasta, use a colander (or very large sieve) and stand it in a sink. Then pour the pasta and water into the colander as soon as the pasta is cooked.
  3. Do not let the pasta sit in the cooking water after the required cooking time or it will become mushy.
  4. To achieve the best flavour and texture, drain the pasta thoroughly, so no cooking water is likely to dilute the sauce.
  5. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and toss immediately with sauce or as directed in the recipe.
  6. Pasta dishes can be frozen successfully – ensure that they are slightly under-cooked initially, so that the reheating process does not cause the pasta to overcook and make it soggy.

Troubleshooting Low Protein Pasta

Is the pasta sticking together?

  1. The water is not boiling when the pasta is added. This causes the pasta to settle on the base of the pan and stick together.
  2. Oil was not added to the cooking water. Adding just a little bit of oil will lightly coat the pasta, helping it to prevent from sticking together.
  3. The pasta was not stirred when added to the water.As the pasta cools the water, it is essential to stir the pasta until the water returns to the boil.
  4. The pasta was not stirred occasionally during cooking, allowing some of it to clump on the base of the pan.
  5. The water was not kept at a steady boil during cooking. The boiling water keeps the pasta moving during cooking.

Is the pasta too soft or breaking?

  1. The pasta is cooked for longer than recommended. Pasta should be cooked until ‘al dente’. Try a piece between the teeth – it should be just tender with a slightly firm bite.
  2. Pasta was not drained immediately after it was cooked. If hot water remains in the pot, the pasta will continue to cook.

Is the pasta soggy or clumped together?

  1. Not enough water was used to cook the pasta. This makes the pasta soggy or clumpy as it does not give the pasta sufficient room to expand. As a rough guide, use 1/2 litre of water to 50g of pasta.
  2. The pan is too small. Always use a large pan, even though it may appear too big for the amount of pasta. During cooking, pasta will double in size and needs room to move about in the cooking water.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Everybody’s low protein diet is different. Always check with your dietitian regarding suitability of particular ingredients in recipes.

Share your low protein recipe with others

Submit a recipe

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Low Protein Connect site provides material about Nutricia’s products, intended for the dietary management of PKU and other low protein disorders. These products are foods for special medical purposes, only to be used under medical supervision. The material will not replace the advice of a qualified healthcare professional. Information on prescription products is provided for consumers with an existing prescription and is not designed to encourage additional prescriptions.

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