When you are cooking pasta, you are probably focused on cooking it well, not what you are going to do with the water when it’s done.
Most people simply pour it down the drain or toss it outside, but should you do that? Could you use that pasta water for something in the kitchen instead of throwing it out? It turns out that you can.
When the pasta cooks, it releases starch into the water.
If you use this water with your pasta sauce, you can create a really nice sauce that is silky smooth and delicious. That starchy water will work well with the oil and other ingredients, helping mix them together to make the perfect sauce.
It can also help thicken your sauce, so you don’t have to add any flour, cornstarch, or milk, which could change the taste of your sauce. It’s just a simple kitchen hack that can change the taste of your food for the better.
When it comes to pasta, there are a few other things you can do to make it better.
One thing you can do is make sure are using enough water to cook the pasta.
You don’t want it to boil out before the pasta is cooked completely. You should also avoid using oil or butter in the water while cooking the pasta. It makes the pasta slippery and prevents the sauce from sticking to it.
You shouldn’t strain your pasta into the sink, either.
Instead, use a pair of tongs to move the cooked pasta from the pot to the sauce. This will bring some of the pasta water with it. If you need more, you can dip it out of the pot and add it to the sauce.
If you are looking for an easy pasta sauce recipe, try this one from Southern Living:
Ingredients:
- ½ pound lean ground beef
- ½ pound mild Italian sausage
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 1 (6-ounce) can Italian-style tomato paste
- ¼ cup sugar
- 3 cups pasta water
- 1 to 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground red pepper
- 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
Directions:
Remove the casings from the sausage and discard. Cook the sausage and ground beef in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat for six minutes, stirring, until the meat crumbles. Add onion and garlic, and sauté four minutes or until the beef and sausage are no longer pink. Drain and set aside. Wipe the skillet clean.
Combine the sauce and the next seven ingredients in a skillet or Dutch oven; cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Add the sausage mixture and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 90 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Serve over linguine or your favorite pasta; sprinkle with cheese. Serve with breadsticks, if desired.
You can serve this sauce over any type of pasta.
If you are wondering how to tell if your pasta is done, there is a messy, but fun, way to check. Simply toss a noodle at the wall. If it sticks, the pasta is done and ready to serve. Of course, everyone has a different idea of how done pasta should be. Some people like it soft and mushy, and others like it to have a little bite to it.
If you are serving a crowd, it’s a good idea to ask or just plan on serving it al dente.
These tips and the recipe above can help you prepare amazing meals that are sure to make your entire family happy. Even picky eaters can’t refuse a good pasta dish.
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