In a small kitchen, you don’t need a lot of equipment to cook great food. Still, you do need some pots, pans, utensils, and dishes–obviously. In the BGSK book, you’ll find a bare bones list of necessary tools, but I’ve long wanted to bring you a similar resource on the web.
So we’re going one by one, stocking up our virtual pantries and maybe our real ones too.
We’ve already talked about the importance of a sturdy colander to keep your draining pastas off the potentially grimy bottom of your sink. Now I want to point you to the tool that can replace the colander eight times out of ten, saving you the twin hassles of cleaning out the sink to make room for a sturdy colander and cleaning that colander after dinner. This is the OXO Steel Spaghetti Server
Using this spoon, you can simply transfer your pasta straight from the pot of boiling water to the ready sauce, no draining needed. This method also helps keep the salty, starchy cooking water clinging to the pasta, which in turn helps thicken the sauce so it sticks to every strand.
Note that you should absolutely get this spoon in steel, not plastic, since you’ll be plunging it into boiling water.
Here are three dishes that’ll be easier and more fun to make with your pasta spoon:
