I finally stopped rinsing my pasta after draining it

I used to always rinse my spaghetti and noodles in a colander with cold water. Then last Thanksgiving my aunt from Chicago yelled at me and said I was washing off all the starch that helps sauce stick. Now I just drain it, save a cup of the pasta water, and toss it right in the pan with the sauce. Has anyone else had a family member change the way they cook something basic like this?

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angela_allen535mo ago

My aunt from Ohio drilled the same thing into me about five years ago. She watched me rinse a batch of penne and just sighed real loud from the kitchen table. I was stubborn at first, but the difference is night and day when you skip the rinse. Now I pull the pasta out a full two minutes early and let it finish cooking in the sauce with that saved water. It coats every noodle way better, and you use less sauce overall which saves money in the long run. One thing nobody tells you though is to stir it constantly while it finishes in the pan, or the bottom will stick and burn.

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andrew7785mo ago

Your aunt was right. Rinsing pasta is basically throwing away the best part. That starchy water is what makes the sauce cling to the noodles instead of just sliding off into a puddle on your plate. Save a cup before draining, then add it back little by little when you toss the pasta with the sauce. It thickens everything up and makes it stick way better. I switched to that method a few years back and never looked back. It also helps if you undercook the pasta by a minute or two and finish it in the sauce with some of that water.

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