Rose's June Shop Watch: Le Creuset Sauté Pan
Stainless Steel Sauté Pan
Art of Living
What?
Le Creuset 3 Ply 24cm Stainless Steel Sauté Pan
Why?
Cook pasta all'Italiana
Last month I wrote about how a recent trip to my favourite trattoria in Rome prompted me to work out how to cook perfect pasta. So what is the secret? There are two tricks that Italians use: first use a really large pan so the pasta cooks in lots of water. And secondly finish by adding the pasta to the hot sauce in its pan so that it is completely coated by the sauce and absorbs all the flavours. But for this you need two pans.
Having talked about a pasta pan last month, now I want to move on to the second pan I am recommending: a sauté pan. A sauté pan has the ideal shape for making the sauce, and is big enough for adding the pasta to it on the hob, so that it is totally integrated. After you have made your sauce, which will be standing by nice and hot, you drain the pasta when it is barely ‘al dente”, in other words just very slightly under-cooked, and tip it into the sauce. Stir well to mix the pasta with the sauce – the big thing here is to get the pasta completely coated for its final cooking. After just a minute or two on a medium heat, toss or stir it again in the pan and add a little of the cooking liquid if necessary. You then carry the pan to the table and serve directly from it. This way the pasta stays hot but you do need to choose a sauté pan that is beautiful enough to act as a serving dish.
The pan I have gone for comes from another famous cookware brand: Le Creuset. It is the 24 cm 3 ply sauté pan with lid, and it comes with a lifetime guarantee. It has a three-layer construction to ensure an even and efficient spread of heat throughout the whole body of the pan. An added benefit is that the handle stays cool when on the hob. And it is certainly elegant enough to serve at the table. I did look at the Le Creuset chef’s pan as well, which is deeper so might be a better buy if you cook pasta for a crowd regularly, but I prefer the design and look of the sauté pan.
Again an expensive buy, but think of both these pans as a lifetime investment in making perfect pasta.
Conclusion:
Become a pastaiola (pasta maker)
Product Details:
Le Creuset 3 Ply Stainless Steel Sauté Pan
24cm
Suitable for all hob types including induction
£116
Contact:
Art of Living
Tel.: 01737 222559/996
aolcookshop.co.uk
Availability and price as at 31st May 2019