Stop Making This Pasta Mistake Immediately: An Expert Exposes the Surprising Step You Must Skip (Despite What the Packet Says!)
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Pasta is a beloved staple in many Australian households, offering a versatile and comforting base for a myriad of delicious dishes. It's the hero of the weeknight dinner rush and the quiet saviour of the empty pantry. Yet, despite its simplicity, there's a good chance that many of us have been cooking our pasta all wrong. It's time to set the record straight and ensure that your next pasta dish is as perfect as Nonna would make it.
The common practice that many of us have been following, which even the back of the pasta packet might suggest, is to rinse our cooked pasta under cold water. We've been led to believe that this step is crucial to prevent the pasta from sticking together. However, culinary experts are now urging us to skip this step entirely, and for a very good reason.
The website Food Republic, founded by the award-winning chef and cookbook author Marcus Samuelsson, has likened rinsing pasta to 'washing liquid gold down the drain.' This is because the starchy water that pasta releases during cooking is actually a key ingredient in creating a more flavourful and cohesive dish. When you rinse the pasta, you're not only cooling it down but also stripping away the valuable starch that acts as a natural thickener and flavour enhancer for your sauce.
Instead of letting this 'magical concoction' go to waste, the experts suggest setting aside a cup or two of the pasta water before draining. Once you've strained your pasta, you can then add a bit of this starchy water back into the sauce as you toss it with the pasta. This technique allows the sauce to cling to the pasta more effectively, resulting in a dish that's rich and full of depth.
There is, however, one exception to this rule. If you're preparing a pasta salad, where the pasta needs to be cooled quickly to stop the cooking process and prevent it from becoming mushy, rinsing under cold water is the correct method. In this case, the goal is to cool the pasta rapidly, and the loss of starch is less of a concern since pasta salad dressings are typically oil-based and don't require the same emulsification as hot sauces.
Now, let's talk about cost-effectiveness. With the cost of living on the rise, every penny counts, and this includes how we cook our pasta. Researchers at Nottingham Trent University have discovered an optimum method that could save you up to 6.5 cents per serving. Their method involves soaking the dried pasta in cold water for two hours and then cooking it in simmering water at 176°F (80°C) for just one to two minutes. By using half the standard amount of water for cooking, you not only save on your energy bill but also maintain the quality and texture of the pasta.
The science behind this method is fascinating. Cooking pasta involves two processes: rehydration and heating. Rehydration, which softens the pasta, doesn't require heat and can be achieved through soaking. The heating process, which makes the proteins in pasta edible, doesn't need to be done at a rolling boil. By simmering at a lower temperature, you can still achieve perfectly cooked pasta while using less energy.
However, be cautious not to reduce the water too much. The researchers found that using less than 500ml of water can result in unevenly cooked pasta due to excessive starch buildup. And while you might be tempted to try the microwave for convenience, the study showed that microwaving pre-soaked pasta produced the lowest quality result.
So, dear members of the Seniors Discount Club, next time you're boiling a pot for spaghetti night, remember to skip the rinse and save that starchy water. Not only will your pasta taste better, but you'll also be cooking like a true Italian and saving a few dollars along the way. Have you tried these pasta cooking tips before? Share your experiences and favourite pasta recipes in the comments below – we'd love to hear from you!
The common practice that many of us have been following, which even the back of the pasta packet might suggest, is to rinse our cooked pasta under cold water. We've been led to believe that this step is crucial to prevent the pasta from sticking together. However, culinary experts are now urging us to skip this step entirely, and for a very good reason.
Experts say they don't rinse cooked pasta—starch helps the sauce stick. Credit: Shutterstock
The website Food Republic, founded by the award-winning chef and cookbook author Marcus Samuelsson, has likened rinsing pasta to 'washing liquid gold down the drain.' This is because the starchy water that pasta releases during cooking is actually a key ingredient in creating a more flavourful and cohesive dish. When you rinse the pasta, you're not only cooling it down but also stripping away the valuable starch that acts as a natural thickener and flavour enhancer for your sauce.
Instead of letting this 'magical concoction' go to waste, the experts suggest setting aside a cup or two of the pasta water before draining. Once you've strained your pasta, you can then add a bit of this starchy water back into the sauce as you toss it with the pasta. This technique allows the sauce to cling to the pasta more effectively, resulting in a dish that's rich and full of depth.
There is, however, one exception to this rule. If you're preparing a pasta salad, where the pasta needs to be cooled quickly to stop the cooking process and prevent it from becoming mushy, rinsing under cold water is the correct method. In this case, the goal is to cool the pasta rapidly, and the loss of starch is less of a concern since pasta salad dressings are typically oil-based and don't require the same emulsification as hot sauces.
Now, let's talk about cost-effectiveness. With the cost of living on the rise, every penny counts, and this includes how we cook our pasta. Researchers at Nottingham Trent University have discovered an optimum method that could save you up to 6.5 cents per serving. Their method involves soaking the dried pasta in cold water for two hours and then cooking it in simmering water at 176°F (80°C) for just one to two minutes. By using half the standard amount of water for cooking, you not only save on your energy bill but also maintain the quality and texture of the pasta.
The science behind this method is fascinating. Cooking pasta involves two processes: rehydration and heating. Rehydration, which softens the pasta, doesn't require heat and can be achieved through soaking. The heating process, which makes the proteins in pasta edible, doesn't need to be done at a rolling boil. By simmering at a lower temperature, you can still achieve perfectly cooked pasta while using less energy.
However, be cautious not to reduce the water too much. The researchers found that using less than 500ml of water can result in unevenly cooked pasta due to excessive starch buildup. And while you might be tempted to try the microwave for convenience, the study showed that microwaving pre-soaked pasta produced the lowest quality result.
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