Why Don't They Rinse Pasta With Water in Italy? How Starch Affects Sauce
Italians know that the secret to perfect pasta is not in the sauce, but in the water in which it is cooked.
Chef Massimo Bottura explained in the documentary Chef's Table :
"Starch is the glue that holds the pasta and sauce together. Without it, you'll end up with noodles in a puddle."
Science supports this view.
The starch released during cooking forms a viscous gel that sticks to the surface of the pasta.
A study by Food Hydrocolloids showed that this layer increases sauce adhesion by 50%.
But how to achieve the right concentration
Chef Luca Fantuantonio from Rome recommends:
"Cook the pasta in a minimal amount of water - this way the starch becomes concentrated."
In his restaurant, they even add pasta water to the tomato sauce: “It’s like thickening it without flour.”
Home cooks often make the mistake of rinsing pasta.
YouTube user Pasta Grannies wrote:
"Before, the sauce would run to the bottom of the plate. Now, thanks to the starch, it coats each piece of spaghetti."
