Mastering Pasta Water
Most home cooks treat the pot as a sink, discarding the murky liquid as soon as the pasta is firm. Once you learn to harness the starch left behind in that pot, you stop needing heavy cream or excess butter to give your sauces body.
Less water is more control.
Stop filling your stockpot to the brim; a narrower, smaller pot creates a higher concentration of starch in the water, which is exactly what you want for a silky finish.
- Medium stockpot
- Liquid measuring cup or small ladle
- Tongs
What goes in.
- 3 quartsWater (adjust to cover pasta by two inches)
- 2 tbspKosher salt
Building the Bridge
When you stir starchy water into sautéed garlic, oil, or cheese, you are forcing two things that don't want to mix—fat and water—into a stable, creamy suspension.
The method.
Boil with intent
Use a pot large enough to fit the pasta but small enough that the water level is low. Add salt only when the water hits a rolling boil.
Monitor the texture
Taste the water. It should be noticeably salty, like sea water. If it tastes flat, your final pasta will be bland regardless of the sauce.
Reserve before draining
Before dumping the pasta into a colander, scoop out at least one cup of the opaque, cloudy water. Keep this next to your pan.
The finishing toss
Add the undercooked pasta to your sauce pan. Pour in a quarter-cup of the reserved water and stir vigorously over medium-high heat until the liquid disappears and the sauce thickens.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If your sauce looks broken or oily, add a splash more pasta water and keep whisking.
The murkier the water looks, the higher the starch content, which makes for a better sauce.
If using a gluten-free pasta, the water may have less starch, so you might need to add a pinch of cornstarch to the cooking liquid if you want to mimic the effect.
The ones that keep coming up.
Does the pasta water need to be boiling when I add it to the sauce?
It is better if it is hot, but the crucial component is the starch, not the temperature.
Can I save leftover pasta water?
It doesn't keep well. The starch settles and loses its emulsifying power as it cools.
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