Pasta Water=Liquid Gold?

[500channelsurfer]

Ever since I have read on the internet that the water you cook your pasta in is healthy and can be used to cook with, I have been using it in my sauces.

Traditionally, pasta water is drained down the sink and then pasta rinsed off to end the cooking process and make the pasta less sticky. Is the era of this over?

I read that pasta water adds starch and nutrients from the pasta back into the dish, makes it thicker and also adds salt if necessary if pasta is cooked in salty water as I have always done.

Thoughts?

 

[KLS52]

I’ve seen this in some recipes so I guess it depends on the dish you’re making. When I eat pasta it’s usually very basic, angel hair in a plate topped with marinara sauce and grated parmesan. I don’t see me adding pasta water to something like that. Maybe if I was making something a little more fancy.

 

[shyvas]

I never drain pasta but scoop it out with a slotted spoon. You really do need a bit of pasta water to thicken any sauces that you're going to add. However, I wouldn't call it liquid gold ; it's just starchy cooking water.

 

[PTree15]

I have one recipe that calls for a quarter-cup of pasta water. It's my pesto-tomato basil salad recipe. I think it's added to make sure the pesto mixes a little easier with the pasta (the recipe calls for a pound of pasta), but I don't do it half the time.

 

[silva]

I never used to like pasta. I would always have it, and pasta sauce, because it was a meal always on hand, and cheap. I always rinsed the pasta in a colander, like my grandmother used.
One day I watched a food show and they were very adamant about just using tongs to remove the pasta and place in the sauce. OMG. It totally changed how I tasted pasta!
Something about that starch is like a drug to me, I swear. I can eat more pasta than I would almost any other food, then pleasantly pass out in a food coma.
It's really really bad for me. Making in the Instant Pot, where it doesn't even get drained, is even better-I mean worse.

 

[KLS52]

I love/have always loved pasta and sometimes I rinse it after it’s cooked which I think is supposed to be really bad…like sacrilegious bad lol.

 

[shyvas]

I love/have always loved pasta and sometimes I rinse it after it’s cooked which I think is supposed to be really bad…like sacrilegious bad lol.

I'm also a huge pasta lover. Never strain, never drain.

 

[Emma JC]

the one pot pasta recipes take full advantage of keeping all the water/starch in the meal - maybe we'll try another one tonight - we do love it when we make it, it just isn't something we are used to so it is easier to do it the old way

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com

 

[PTree15]

I never used to like pasta. I would always have it, and pasta sauce, because it was a meal always on hand, and cheap. I always rinsed the pasta in a colander, like my grandmother used.
One day I watched a food show and they were very adamant about just using tongs to remove the pasta and place in the sauce. OMG. It totally changed how I tasted pasta!
Something about that starch is like a drug to me, I swear. I can eat more pasta than I would almost any other food, then pleasantly pass out in a food coma.
It's really really bad for me. Making in the Instant Pot, where it doesn't even get drained, is even better-I mean worse.

I confess I never knew this about not draining the pasta. My mom always drained it in the colander, though she only rinsed it if she was making macaroni salad or other cold pasta salads. I will have to try using the tongs now, haha. As if I need another reason to love pasta.

 

[KLS52]

I tend to like my pasta sauce on the thin side to start with so if I try tongs or using the strainer/spoon thingy, for lack of knowing it’s official name, lol, I’ll need to make sure it doesn’t make my pasta with sauce too watery.

 

[KLS52]