Pasta Baskets
Pasta baskets cook and remove pasta from boiling water in pots or wells. They allow pasta to cook without mixing different types, and they strain out water without the need to discard it.
Pasta Cooking Basket: What You Need to Know
Pasta cooking baskets are a necessity for operations serving high volumes of pasta, specifically Italian restaurants. Cook spaghetti, gnocchi, lasagna, linguini, and more until it is al dente or tender.
These perforated or mesh pasta baskets typically are made of stainless steel and include a handle for quick removal and instant straining. Plastic portion cups that sit in a metal rack also are available.
A pasta cooking basket, also referred to as a pasta strainer basket or simply a pasta basket, holds pasta or other items while they cook in boiling water.
Pasta strainer baskets may be designed for use in pasta cooker equipment wells or a pasta pot. They may be similar in appearance or nearly identical to circular or rectangular fry baskets, but they should not be used in oil unless otherwise specified.
Commercial pasta pot sets may include a cover, along with a perforated pot that slides directly into a main pot in the same manner as a double boiler. Another option available for use in pots includes multiple wedge pasta baskets with handles for cooking separate portions of pasta in a pot.
The size and shape of these baskets depend on what equipment they're designed for use with. Baskets designed to sit in wells may be long, rectangular, and nearly a foot deep, or could be circular with a similar depth but around half a foot in diameter. Larger square racks for bulk cooking are also available. Commercial pasta pots typically range in size from 8 to 20 quarts and are designed for use with wedges or other perforated inserts.
Pasta baskets and inserts may include hooks for latching onto a well or pot.
Common Questions About Pasta Baskets
Do I need a commercial pasta pot or pasta cooker?
Whether you need to invest in heavy-duty equipment to cook your pasta, or you simply need a commercial pasta pot, depends largely upon the amount of pasta you will be cooking. Dedicated equipment for this purpose is available in countertop and floor models and will free up stovetop space for other purposes.
What kind of pot do you use for pasta?
Operators can prepare pasta in a normal stock pot, a pot specifically designed to pair with an inset strainer, or a pasta cooker similar in function to a deep fryer.
What else can I cook with a pasta boil basket?
Pasta boiler baskets also can be used to cook and quickly strain any food that is boiled and can't fall through the perforated holes or mesh. This can include vegetables, certain seafoods, eggs, and more.