Why You Should Never, Ever Drain Your Pasta In The Sink
People who get rid of their pasta water before adding it to their sauce are making a big mistake.
Here’s why:
If you drain your pasta water through a colander and down the sink, you’re throwing away an invaluable asset .
Pasta is made of flour, it releases starch into the cooking water as it boils, creating a white, cloudy liquid that we often deem “dirty” and then dump down the sink. It’s something you should make the most out of before you even think about pouring it down the drain.
The excess pasta water is full of salt and starch, and when you add these items to your fat, whether it’s olive oil or bacon, you’re provided with a smooth and tasty sauce that you won’t get any other way. This process is called emulsification.
Incorporating pasta water into your dish is what separates you from true and authentic Italian to what your British friend whipped up with a jar of sauce. It’s the change you need to make to your cooking routine.
Here’s how to save your pasta water.
Choose one of the following methods:
- If you insist on dumping your pasta into a giant colander, first make sure you’ve ladled out a couple cups of the cooking liquid and saved it in a bowl.
- Or you can use a pot with a pasta strainer insert. It allows you to just lift up the strainer when the pasta is ready, reserving all the liquid in the big pot. These things are magical.
- For long pastas like spaghetti and fettuccine, you can just use a pair of tongs to move the cooked pasta to a saucepan.
- Fish shorter pastas like macaroni and penne out of the water with a spider skimmer ladle.
Once you have the best pasta tool at your disposal, then it’s time to make your pasta dish taste amazing. These luxuriously smooth sauces that you’ll prepare will make everyone in a 10-mile radius want to come to yours for dinner every night. It’ll provide you with a dazzling reputation and help you build stronger friendships. Some may even believe you’re Italian yourself. Be prepared for reservations in your kitchen to fill up after someone has one bite.
