this post was submitted on 23 Oct 2023
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[–] [email protected] 105 points 1 year ago (7 children)

I wonder wtf you guys do to your pasta, it's like the easiest thing to cook... Boil water, add salt, wait for the time written on the box (or just look at it, you'll see when it's done).

[–] [email protected] 36 points 1 year ago (4 children)

I don't think they boil the water. Must be that. No other way I can think why it would stick.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 year ago (3 children)

If you don’t stir the pasta adequately after adding it to the pot that can make it stick together. Source: my husband does this all the freaking time.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Your stir at the beginning to ensure that each piece of pasta is properly engulfed by water. But after that there really shouldn't be much need of stirring, the pasta moves around in the water on its own.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Sometimes I just hold the pot handle and swish it around slightly. Never had a problem with sticking. It seems like an infomercial problem.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Yeah, he usually just dumps it in and walks away. πŸ₯΄

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I usually just snap mine in half, and throw it in boiling water with a bit of salt. I haven't stirred pasta in years.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Also, if the pan isn't large enough the pasta will stick I think. I say I think because despite having cooked pasta hundreds of times I've never had this happen lol

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

After cooking the pasta just short of done, many toss them in the sauce pan and let them finish cooking in the sauce for a more even pasta-to-sauce-distribution. Saves you the hassle of portioning your sauce.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Hmm I call the large "pans" that you boil water and make sauces in pans, but I assume you don't in your country- presumably the USA? I'm not even sure what you would call them instead tbh

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Or not stir at least once I guess.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I have never stirred pasta once in my life, it's self stirring

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)

That is not true, if you don't stir at all, pasta will stick. To stir just once or twice is sufficient though.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I have never stirred pasta. I need you to understand this. I'm old, I've never once stirred pasta. I've made a lot of pasta.

I wait for the water to boil, I put salt in and question if this even does anything but I do it anyway, I put the pasta in then seven minutes or so later it's done.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Salt bumps up the boiling temp of your water, and it also keeps the flavor of your noodles from leeching out. It's very important

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Yeah, I've read those theories, I've also seen people say it does nothing. I've forgotten and it's made no difference. But I still do it. It's worth noting you have to add a lot of salt to meaningfully change the boiling temperature.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I usually do a 50/50 mix measured by mass.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Did you ever make spaghetti? When you put a bunch of them in the pot, one end of the bunch still sticks out and the bunch just stands there while the lower ends stick together.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I have made endless spaghetti and this has never ever been the case for me, ever.

Are you american? i gotta know if this is some american food is weird thing. american food is often weird. this is not something the rest of the world talks about.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I am a EU citizen and donΒ΄t know about US spaghetti. Probably the FDA approved Teflon coating or something ...

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I have never stirred pasta before, and never had it stick even once. Are you sure you're waiting for the water to reach a full boil to add the pasta? At that point that air bubbles should be knocking it around enough that you don't have to bother.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Did you ever make spaghetti? When you put a bunch of them in the pot, one end of the bunch still sticks out and the bunch just stands there, so no amount of bubbles is going to "knock them around".

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

All you gotta do is push the ends that're stocking out under once it's soft enough. No stirring necessary. I suppose you can if that's easier for you, but I don't bother.

Editing in real quick though, I've never cooked high end pasta, so maybe that's different. I'm broke, so it's always the cheap stuff for me

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

push the ends that’re stocking out under once it’s soft enough

If youΒ΄re using anything than your bare hands for that, IΒ΄m pretty sure that counts as a half stir at least! /s

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Yeah but we prefer eating our pasta in lots of small pieces, not in one big log.

Source: first time my son was home alone and made spaghetti 😘

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah but we prefer eating our pasta in lots of small pieces, not in one big log.

Source: first time my son was home alone and made spaghetti 😘

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

What are you people doing to your pasta... I don't even know what universe it would do that. How would it do that? Is this some American thing where American pasta isn't made from wheat anymore but instead corn syrup?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Nah, they are probably letting it sit for 5 minutes after draining before they serve it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

If you don't take care, and don't stir, spaghetti might stick badly.

If you have enough water, hot enough, salt a bit, see to it that when you put the pasta in the water it's not in a big lump, then it's going to be okay.

I like to stir after a minute or three, but it's mostly to see everything is okay like water temp.

Beginners might chuck it in colderer water, not stir spaghetti or whatever. Been there done that ☺️

Good night!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I bought cheap store brand pasta once. That was the only time I've ever had noodles stick together.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Did you buy pasta or noodles... I'm confused

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

What do you think the difference is?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's a trap! Don't answer that!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Truest thing I've read this morning. O/P better have a strong umbrella by the computer.. if they dare.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago

Noodles are synonymous with east Asian cuisine, come in varieties such as soba, egg, glass, upon, etc.

Pasta is synonymous with Italian cuisine and comes in varieties such as penne, tortellini, spaghetti, rigatoni, etc.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

.... you what.

I suppose you'll tell me I'm the king of merry old England next

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Some bad celebrity chef at some point told Americans that you have to put olive oil in the water to prevent sticking.

Like....no. Just stir it occasionally lol

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Americans and oil. Name a more iconic duo.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Ooh ooh! Pasta and sauce!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Italians and pasta!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Stir at the beginning for 45 seconds so that the pasta don't stick then let the boiling water move the pasta and cook them. Simple.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Like....no. Just stir it occasionally lol

Why? It doesn't stick while its in the water either way (for me at least, maybe the starch content varies enough to change that around the world).

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago

put olive oil in the water*

*This recipe is sponsored by Sovena.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Half the time written on the box, believe me if you want a perfect "al dente". Anyway the problem of everybody outside Italy is that they boil the water with the pasta in.

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