If pasta sticks together after it's cooked, is it overcooked?

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Noooooo! Putting oil into your pasta water will coat the pasta with oil, which will prevent pasta sticking together, but will also prevent sauces from being absorbed by your pasta.

The reason to slightly undercook pasta is so you can finish cooking it in your sauce, and the not quite fully cooked pasta will soak up your sauce, kinda' like a sponge.

Mix the al dente pasta with your sauce, stir it around, and add a little bit of starchy pasta water. The starch will help the sauce bind to the pasta.

Meryl, please correct me if I got any of that wrong.
This is an urban legend. I've added oil to the water for decades. After cooking and draining the pasta under cold running water, there isn't enough oil to make any difference whatsoever and I never have clumpy sticky noodles.

That said, please continue to cook in any way that makes you happy.

.40
 
That said, please continue to cook in any way that makes you happy.

Well, I completely disagree with that urban legend story, but please continue to cook in any way that makes you happy.

I take it you are a fan of the .40 S&W? I personally prefer a .45 Colt. ;)

CD
 
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Noooooo! Putting oil into your pasta water will coat the pasta with oil, which will prevent pasta sticking together, but will also prevent sauces from being absorbed by your pasta.

The reason to slightly undercook pasta is so you can finish cooking it in your sauce, and the not quite fully cooked pasta will soak up your sauce, kinda' like a sponge.

Mix the al dente pasta with your sauce, stir it around, and add a little bit of starchy pasta water. The starch will help the sauce bind to the pasta.

Meryl, please correct me if I got any of that wrong.

CD
Good points @caseydog. 😀
Yes of course, 'al dente"if you want to saute' your pasta in a pan full of sauce, adding a little starchy pasta water to blend them well and together. Traditionally, the reason for eating pasta 'al dente" that we are made to believe, is that it's more easily digested. This is due to the fact that it takes longer to chew, so goes down to our intestines slowlier, hence being kind to our digestive system. This slower process is healthier too, as it also slows down the rate in which our body absorbs glucose from starch, keeping our sugar concentration levels in the normal range.
Another advantage is that, just like other chewy, crunchy foods, the more we chew, the more we have a sense of feeling full, so we don't eat so much. 😁
 
Any brand of maccheroni product I have ever used was fully cooked in 12 minutes after the water started boiling again, except those tiny elbows they put in Kraft dinners. They are fully cooked in 10 minutes. USE A TIMER!
 
Any brand of maccheroni product I have ever used was fully cooked in 12 minutes after the water started boiling again, except those tiny elbows they put in Kraft dinners. They are fully cooked in 10 minutes. USE A TIMER!
How much should people compensate for those timings if they live at altitude, where water boils at a lower temperature than it does at sea level. I am assuming that you live close to sea level.
 
This article from Serious Eats will answer many questions:


"Don't bother oiling the water, and definitely don't oil the pasta after it comes out of the pot. Oil in the pasta water just floats on the surface. It's a waste, and does nothing for helping the pasta stay separated. Besides, we've also already shown today that given a good stir at the proper moment, you should have no problem with pasta sticking anyway. Oiling the pasta after it comes out of the water is a good way to ensure that your sauce won't stick to it properly, which takes us to the next point..."
 
we are made to believe, is that it's more easily digested.
This is also true for the same reason but put another way. Our stomachs can only extract a certain amount of the nutrients before it is pushed along its way. The more you chew the more you are helping with the break down and more nutrients can be absorbed.
I remember being told to chew each mouthful 100 chews. I don't remember how far I got but it sure wasn't even close to 100! LOL.
How much should people compensate for those timings if they live at altitude,
I'm pretty sure people living at altitudes already know or quickly find out. Sounds like you are preparing for a move to the mountains?

As to oil in the water, as I stated before, I only added it to prevent foaming over. I admt when adding the pasta to the boiling water I would aim for and swish it thru the oil floating around on the top. I have never notice sauce being left behind.
I also did not add my pasta to the sauce. I plated the pasta and ladled the sauce on top. That was in the 60's - 70's.
 
I'm assuming most everyone, after draining their pasta, puts it directly into the sauce. So if you let your pasta sit in a colander, I assume you either want to oil it, or maybe. . .rinse it? But doesn't washing off the starch make it harder to apply sauce later on?

Do any of you advocate rinsing the pasta before it goes into the sauce? I was always told rinsing pasta after it's done cooking is a big no no, as it rinses off the starch so it won't cling to the sauce you're adding it to.
 
I'm assuming most everyone, after draining their pasta, puts it directly into the sauce. So if you let your pasta sit in a colander, I assume you either want to oil it, or maybe. . .rinse it? But doesn't washing off the starch make it harder to apply sauce later on?

Do any of you advocate rinsing the pasta before it goes into the sauce? I was always told rinsing pasta after it's done cooking is a big no no, as it rinses off the starch so it won't cling to the sauce you're adding it to.
That’s why you add cooking water to the sauce… to add starch.

Never oil pasta that going into sauce.

Don’t let it sit in a colander.

Check out the article I posted above. Serious Eats is probably the most reliable expert on all things food. They will answer many of your questions.
 
I love reading and listening to everyone else’s pasta advice! The truth is that there are many different views.
I don’t use dried pasta much, only the shapes that are formed by an extruder.
I never oil or salt the water. I add a little bit of salt into my pasta dough. There is a lot of advice about making the water “as salty as the sea”. And lots of advice about adding pasta water to the sauce when combining.
The way I see it, if you have sea water in your sauce, the entire dish is going to be way too salty.
So for me, I put some salt in the dough and not in the water.
Never oil. One of the reasons why this myth has become popular is that many people are working on the sauce as they are cooking the pasta. Putting oil in the water supposedly keeps the water from boiling over.
I think it’s a trial and error process to making pasta exactly as you want it. You and your guests will know when you have made it right. And there are many variables so just experiment until you have “your way”.
 
I agree that everyone should do as suits them.
To me, I don't see a problem if the sauce doesn't cling to the pasta.
I just put sauce and pasta on my spoon, so it still gets in my mouth at the same time :)

These days, I mostly make my own pasta. The cooking time is short, but it seems there is a larger window till you get to overcooked.
 
Sure. And it’s the same when you get pasta at an upmarket Italian restaurant. Often the pasta is in the bowl and the sauce is ladled on top.
It looks pretty and inviting, but it’s certainly not the way it is served traditionally.
The pasta and sauce should be mixed together before serving, with more pasta than sauce. The pasta is the star.
 
This is also true for the same reason but put another way. Our stomachs can only extract a certain amount of the nutrients before it is pushed along its way. The more you chew the more you are helping with the break down and more nutrients can be absorbed.
I remember being told to chew each mouthful 100 chews. I don't remember how far I got but it sure wasn't even close to 100! LOL.

I'm pretty sure people living at altitudes already know or quickly find out. Sounds like you are preparing for a move to the mountains?

As to oil in the water, as I stated before, I only added it to prevent foaming over. I admt when adding the pasta to the boiling water I would aim for and swish it thru the oil floating around on the top. I have never notice sauce being left behind.
I also did not add my pasta to the sauce. I plated the pasta and ladled the sauce on top. That was in the 60's - 70's.

I remember the number of chews being more like 40. :unsure:

Back in the 60s and 70s, I never saw anyone mix the pasta into the sauce before serving. Just put the spaghetti on a plate, and dump some sauce on it. Then add the Kraft green can Parmesan cheese product on top. :ROFLMAO:

But, I later learned that mixing first was more traditional, and helped the pasta soak up the sauce a bit. And, use real Parmesiano Reggiano. (y)

CD
 
How much should people compensate for those timings if they live at altitude, where water boils at a lower temperature than it does at sea level. I am assuming that you live close to sea level.
If I remember correctly (when don't I?), it took the same amount of time in Albuquerque that it does in Sandy Eggo.
 
I never rinse cooked pasta, except for when I'm making a pasta salad, but only during the hot Summer months.
 
I never rinse cooked pasta, except for when I'm making a pasta salad, but only during the hot Summer months.

Oh no, I never rinse my cooked pasta. I don't want to wash of that starch that will help bring the pasta and sauce together.

CD
 

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