Some of my friends pour cold water on pasta after boiling it other don't. What do the professionals do? If they pour cold water on the pasta after the boil, what do they want to accomplish with doing it?
Pasta – Pouring cold water on pasta after cooking it
boilingpasta
Related Topic
- Boil water first when cooking what foods
- Pasta – Cold / cooked pasta safe to eat
- Pasta – What happens when I boil 2 pots of pasta in the same water back to back
- Pasta – Should pasta be started in cold or boiling water
- Pasta – Cooking pasta in a water boiler
- Pasta – Benefit to covering pasta while cooking
- Pasta – Should I start timer immediately after adding pasta to boiling water
Best Answer
I would strongly suggest not pouring cold or any other kind of water on pasta; it will rinse the delicious starches off its surface, which would otherwise help your sauce cling to it.
To counteract the negative consequences of overcooking due to remaining heat (which, as belisarius suggests in his answer, is the reason other stuff is often rinsed with cold water), just serve it immediately. You want to have the sauce (hot and) ready just before your pasta is, so you can drain the pasta, mix with the sauce, and put it on the table.