Why You Should Start Saving Pasta Water

Pasta water is the secret ingredient most people forget about. Here's why you should save it and use it in your next pasta sauce.

Cooking dry pasta is one of the easiest, most self-explanatory techniques of any cuisine. Even the most novice home cook can handle it. But this famously easy task has more tricks than you thought—and saving the pasta water is one of them. However, it’s often one of the most forgotten steps.

Pasta water is the leftover liquid that cooked pasta was boiled in, and it’s filled with starchy, salty goodness. Although it may look murky and dirty, this stuff is the key to a successful sauce, and to a beautiful pasta dish. Find out why you should never add oil to your pasta water.

What to do with pasta water

After your pasta is done cooking, remove it from the pot using tongs or a pasta fork so your water is left in the bottom of the pan. That way, you can save as much or as little of the water as you want. I like to reserve about a cup of water per pot of pasta. Next, add the sauce to the pot of water and stir, then add the pasta. The starch content adds a silky richness to your sauce, and the salt content adds extra flavor.

The starch also acts as a thickening agent. This trick is what separates average pasta dishes from the delightful, complex dishes at your favorite Italian restaurant. It’s perfect for simple sauces like cacio e pepe, and it’s even better in slow simmered, meaty ragù. Next, don’t miss these 10 cooking tricks that are only taught in culinary schools.

Taste of Home
Originally Published on Taste of Home