Also hot dog water

  • qyron
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    54
    ·
    1 month ago

    You want to save water when boiling pasta? Stop using a big pot.

    Pour the pasta into a skilled, add enough water to completely cover it and turn on the heat. Add a pinch of salt (not too much, as you will be eating all of it) and allow the pasta to cook. It will slowly absorb the water it needs and will normally leave little to none behind. If some water is left behind, use it to thicken sauces; the gluten in the water helps.

    This works with every pasta, even spaghetti.

    • Übercomplicated@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      1 month ago

      This is great advice and took me far to long to learn; I also tend to spare a little pasta water to pour over the pasta at the end, and remember to stir a ton!

      • Capybara_mdp@reddthat.com
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        30 days ago

        For first timers, start w penne. Also, caveat: if using a gf replacement like banza, the noodles both seem to absorb less water, and expel more starch into the water. so the mod is to put about an inch of water extra than what you would normally use for flour pasta.

      • qyron
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        1 month ago

        Italians have nothing to teach to my country when it comes to cooking.

    • colin@lemmy.uninsane.org
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      1 month ago

      you can find recipes for this approach under the label of “one-pot pastas”. some techniques (common for alfredo) don’t even call for water: brown the noodles in butter, a bit of wine (which the noodles will absorb), thicken with flour (like you’re making a roux), stir in the veggies/meat/spices.