Food tidbits

Numbers equal great pasta
To make great pasta, it helps to know a few key numbers:
>> For most recipes, plan about 4 ounces of pasta per serving. So a 1 pound box will make four servings.
>> To dress pasta, plan for about 3 cups tomato-based sauce per pound of pasta, says Becky Hays, managing editor at Cook's Illustrated magazine. For pesto, you will need about 3/4 cup.
>> Most pasta is sold in 1-pound packages and most jars of sauce contain 3 cups. To make four servings, buy one of each.
>> When cooking pasta, plenty of water is essential. For each pound of pasta, you will need to boil at least 4 quarts of lightly salted (about 1 tablespoon) water. A 6- to 8-quart pot is best.
>> When cooking for a crowd, don't try to cook 2 pounds of pasta in one pot, say the editors of Cook's Illustrated. It will take too long for the water to return to a boil. Instead, use two pots.
>> Cooking time will vary by pasta shape and size, but a good rule of thumb is to drain the pasta when you think it is about 30 seconds away from being done. Residual heat in the pasta will finish the cooking.

Taste of Home
The reader recipe-driven Taste of Home franchise is getting bigger - and healthier.
The tremendously popular cooking magazine and book company has launched a new bimonthly magazine dedicated to healthy versions of home cooked favorites.
The magazine sticks with the company's well-tested formula - reader recipes tested and photographed by the editors. All recipes include nutrition data, diabetic exchanges, and icons to identify those that are low-fat, low-carb, low-sugar, etc.
Recipes in the premier issue of the Taste of Home Healthy Cooking magazine (April/May) include zucchini fritters, cheese straws and a ham and corn souffle.

>> WHAT'S COOKING: We want your favorite recipes, whether it's your original or something you stole from Great-Aunt Martha. Spice up our e-mail box at ­csimmons@oaoa.com.