Some of us probably learned the hard way that it's a good idea to stir pasta once or twice after dropping it in the boiling water - a congealed hockey puck of half-cooked pasta is not generally what we intended for dinner! But have you ever wondered why this happens? Or why it's a good idea to stir pasta?
The way we see it, stirring pasta is a good idea for two reasons. First of all, dried pasta has a tendency to sink to the bottom of the pan right after you add it. The hot metal bottom is significantly hotter than the boiling water, and the sinking pasta can stick and scorch when it hits.
Secondly, unstirred pasta has a tendency to clump together. Pasta releases a lot of starch as it cooks, which normally is diluted in the pasta water. But if the noodles are very close together, the half-dissolved starch becomes a glue that binds neighboring noodles together. Good luck getting those noodles separated!
We usually give the pasta a stir right after adding it to the pot and then again a minute later. Once the water comes back to a boil, there's generally enough motion to keep the noodles separate and cooking evenly.
Anyone have a good horror story of forgetting to stir pasta?!
Related: Clearing the Pantry? Make a Free-Form Pasta Casserole!
(Image: Flickr member ddaarryynn licensed under Creative Commons)
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Comments (15)
Ah,but the real question is whether to add oil or not to the cooking liquid.
I usually add a tiny bit of olive oil. It also keeps the pasta from sticking together. (altho I do stir when I first put it in the pan)
Adding oil to pasta water is futile; it simply sits on top of the water while the pasta cooks below. The only real way to prevent sticking is to cook your pasta in a sufficient volume of water (more water = more room for pasta to move and lower concentration of starch) and as this article states, stir occasionally until the water returns to a boil.
I've heard that adding oil doesn't help. But the Barefoot Contessa always does.
When the water boils, I add a hefty pinch or two of salt and wait for it to dissolve before adding the pasta. Come to think of it, I'm not sure whether the salt is for stickiness (you still have to stir until it comes back to a rolling boil, as Emma said) or for flavor.
My alternate method has developed around the fact that I find the pasta water to be useful - especially useful if it is not too dilute. Therefore I cook the pasta in less water than normally recommended [ yes, this requires more stirring to prevent clumping ] and save a couple of cups of the water when I drain. This water can be added back in those situations where the pasta is returned to the heat [ think carbonara, primavera type dishes...] to adjust consistency.
Adding oil to the pasta-cooking water will only end in tears! The only results you get are sauces that won't stick to your oil-coated pasta!
No oil!
Wasn't there a Good Eats episode that talked about why oil isn't necessary for pasta?
I usually add oil so the water won't boil over, not for the pasta itself.
Hmmm...I always add oil and never thought about the sauce not sticking. It definitely helps the pasta not to stick, though...although it probably could be added after draining for better effectiveness. I always add a bit of oil, and salt too.
As for noodles sticking together...I always stir pretty frequently throughout the process. I always seem to have trouble with lasagna noodles...could we maybe have an article on good lasagna noodle procedure?
I kept only one of my non-stick pans from college. It's a large stock pot for cooking pasta. I've tried countless times to cook pasta in any of my Le Creusett round-ovens and found that after, I spend at least 20 minutes trying to get the cooked on pasta off the bottom of the pot. My nails haven't been the same since...
Oil has never helped one single bit and I always stir the pasta at least 2 or 3 times during cooking process.
No oil; it doesn't prevent pasta from sticking. In fact, oil-coated pasta prevents sauce from coating it properly.
To avoid sticking, cook pasta in plenty of boiling water in a roomy pot and stir frequently. And don't over-drain it; a tad bit of water is good for moisture (also heard this from Mario Batali). Add salt when water STARTS boiling, just before adding pasta, for flavor. :)
Adding salt to the water allows the water to boil at a higher temperature, which I find makes deliciously toothy al dente pasta without the outside getting soggy.
I only add oil when I know I'll be using a ragu, or another sauce that won't be thwarted by slippery noodles. But since a significant portion of my pasta intake involves olive oil, parmesan, and chopped parsely, I don't mind sloshing a bit in the pot every now and then.
Horror Story:
One year in Girl Scouts, the whole troop got to go to Girl Scout Camp for the weekend and stay in a big cabin, and we'd planned a spaghetti dinner for Sunday evening.
Everything was going fine, until one of the troop leaders decided the pasta wasn't all cooking fast enough, and thought it would be a good idea to just fill the giant pots to the brim.
It was starchy and horrible. I think my mom took me to get a happy meal on the way home.
For whoever asked, the salt is for the flavor. I doubt it contributes anything to preventing any sticking.
I hate when the pasta gets stuck to the bottom. I know I'm supposed to stir, but I always get distracted with stuff like getting the sauce ready.