Pasta cooking water: find out why you shouldn't throw it away

November 18, 2022

Water is a very precious resource that we should all learn to treasure. From the bathroom, to cleaning the house to the working in the kitchen, there are many ways to preserve water ... And there are also some tips that allow you to recycle used water. For example, in the kitchen, we can recycle the water we used to cook pasta in.

When we cook any amount of pasta, in fact, we typically use an average at least one liter of water, and 99% of it goes down the drain. This pasta water could, however, be reused. Find out how by reading further:

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Many recipes tell us to set aside some pasta water: often, it is reused to make the sauces and gravies with which the pasta is seasoned. But what about the remaining pasta water? Occasionally, you might consider using it in the following ways:

For degreasing dishes that are washed by hand: Cooking water is denser than normal water because it contains the starch released by the pasta itself. In addition, using it when it is still hot (not boiling!) mean not having to use too much soap to remove greasy, oily dirt from the dishes. Just pour the pasta water into the sink, or basin, and let the dishes soak in it. This is a great way to save on cleaning products and saves water!
For soaking legumes: The starch in pasta water will not damage chickpeas and other legumes. So why not use it (when it has cooled) instead of fresh water to soak your legumes?
In the case of foods that you want to steam cook, salted pasta water is perfect!
If you need to prepare a broth, or some other seasoning sauce, use the left-over pasta water. It will provide a rich and pleasant texture.
Any savory recipe that involves adding water to doughs that contain flour can substitute pasta water instead. Use it for leavened food and if you want to create salt play dough.