Olive Oil for Pasta

Sorry if I ruffle your feathers, but all adding oil to pasta cooking water does is add more calories. I know it's an italian tradition to do this, and it has been studied scientifically with the result being that oil makes no difference at all in keeping pasta apart. Keeping pasta apart is decided by stiring the pasta well several times in the very beginning.

SORRY TO RUFFLE YOUR FEATHERS, BUT I DON'T THINK PUTTING A FEW DROPS OF OIL INTO THE PASTA WOULD ADD THAT MANY MORE CALORIES THAN WHAT YOU WOULD BE CONSUMING WITH PASTA ANYWAY. WE HAVE DONE THIS FOR YEARS. AND IF I DON'T RINSE MY PASTA IT STICKS TOGETHER AND IS CLUMPY
MY SAUCE ALWAYS STICKS REALLY WELL TO MY PASTA. MAYBE IT'S YOUR SAUCE YOU ARE USING MIGHT WANT TO TRY A BETTER SAUCE

Holly
Silver Post Medal for All Time! 364 Posts

February 22, 20060 found this helpful

Pasta hint from a chef, as told to me by his wife. Add spices to the pasta cooking water. She didn't know exactly what he added, but told me that her best guess was garlic powder, parsley...

JUST WENT TO A SITE ALL ABOUT VINEGAR AND THEY SAY, THAT IF YOU PUT A TSP OF VINEGAR IN ,THE PASTA WILL NOT STICK TOGETHER WHEN COOKING
www.frugalliving@about.com

You should drain, shake and serve pasta immediately. If you have to let it sit, it will stick, but a quick rinse will unstick it with hot tap water; then shake again and serve.
The starch on the pasta causes the sauce to stick; any oils and the sauce just slides off. Also, while cooking sauce, don't cover it; you're just taking the excess water evaporating from the sauce (which you want to do) and re-depositing back in, thinning it. Use a taller pot to simmer your sauce in so it doesn't spatter out instead of covering it.