Pasta should go into boiling water. AIBU?

[MadMaryBoddington]

Dh cooks pasta by putting it into a pan of cold water then putting it onto the hob. HIBU isn’t he?

I am aware that I have no moral high ground and that if I want it doing a certain way, I should just do it myself. But he’s still wrong, isn’t he?

I put it to you, MN jury...

I genuinely can't remember the name, it's just off broad street, walk straight across from jury's hotel and there is a sort of posh square area with a Thai etc. I think four restaurants, it's the one opposite the Thai, not the one next to it, and all the wait staff are Italian, as well. Food is excellent. It has an outside eating area. There is a sort of art gallery with a cafe to its right.

I think with cooking pasta there is also what you're used to and what you think it should taste like. And that's fine if you like it a different way to what is "correct".

My grandparents were all Italian, so I can cook pasta, but I'm proper shit at cooking rice. As in proper shit. I have a friend who has an Indian parent though and if she comes to my house she does the rice as hers is fantastic. Otherwise it would be boil in the bag from me. 🤣

Omfg the whole of Italy is turning in its grave

having day -mares of over cooked stuck together lasagna nodles

I'm telling Gradad Dolmio

I am imagining something like ravioli or fresh (not dry) pasta going into cold water ....

I showed him the thread and he just read out all the posts that agree with him.

Challenge him to find one single recipe, either online or in a recipe book, that says add the pasta to cold water and then bring to the boil. Just one.

LTB

My DH taught me to put it in cold water and bring it to the boil and he's a chef.

nana will chase him down with a wooden spoon

May I, as somebody with an Italian sounding user name, offer an authoritative view. You put pasta in boiling water. End of.

Duskqueen, NOOOOOOOOO

LOL at all the histrionics, and all the Italian people (supposedly) know, who are fainting at the thought of people putting pasta in cold water to cook it.

You can do it either way, and putting it in cold water to cook (and then bringing it to the boil,) will not result in 'a soggy mess.'

Just google 'do you cook pasta in cold or hot water.'

THIS is what you will get.

Place pasta in a large pot, and cover with 1 inch of cold water. Bring to boil over high heat (will take approximately 8-10 minutes). Once the water has come to a boil, add salt if desired and set a timer for 4 minutes and 30 seconds.

And

www.thesun.co.uk/living/2459483/does-it-make-a-difference-if-you-add-pasta-to-cold-or-boiling-water-italian-chefs-claim-they-have-the-answer-but-not-everyone-agrees/

It makes naff-all difference to the outcome. Cooked in cold OR boiling water, the pasta will still come out fine.

LOL at all the histrionics, and all the Italian people that posters (supposedly) know, who are fainting at the thought of people putting pasta in cold water to cook it.

You can do it either way, and putting it in cold water to cook (and then bringing it to the boil,) will not result in 'a soggy mess.'

Just google 'do you cook pasta in cold or hot water.'

THIS is what you will get.

Place pasta in a large pot, and cover with 1 inch of cold water. Bring to boil over high heat (will take approximately 8-10 minutes). Once the water has come to a boil, add salt if desired and set a timer for 4 minutes and 30 seconds.

And

www.thesun.co.uk/living/2459483/does-it-make-a-difference-if-you-add-pasta-to-cold-or-boiling-water-italian-chefs-claim-they-have-the-answer-but-not-everyone-agrees/

It makes naff-all difference to the outcome. Cooked in cold OR boiling water, the pasta will still come out fine.

@DuskQueen

My DH taught me to put it in cold water and bring it to the boil and he's a chef.

This. Just messaged my SIL who is a chef too, and she stated it's cooked by placing it in cold water, and bringing to boil, and stirring, as I said above.

You can do it in boiling water yes, but professionals will place water in cold water and bring to the boil over 8-10 minutes.

Lots of amateurs on here.

A good rule for cooking - if not life - is just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should ...

Boiling water, or don't call it pasta ...

You're asking the wrong people, OP.

Of course it's totally minging to put pasta in cold water and will result in horrible gloopy, starchy yuckiness. But we are benighted Anglo-Saxons, so of course there will be equally idiotic posters who agree with your husband.

You need to go on the Italian equivalent of Mumsnet. They will all run for the Apennines screaming as they go, and thanking god for Brexit and the prospect of an impending hard border between Italy and the culinary wasteland of Albion.

I also add a stock cube to my water when boiling pasta - my DH was horrified but it adds flavour

LTB!

Pasta should always go directly into fast boiling water.

Because that's what all the Italian chefs do on the cookery programmes, and they should know!

While you're on leaving him, I would ring 101 and get it logged (just in case) nd cancel the cheque (just to be on the safe side).

I think the salt is unnecessary, and it works out fine if like me you don't like it.

All you need to do IME is make sure you stay with the pasta so it doesn't overcook and you will have nice pasta.

Sorry, thisneverendingsummer, that Sun article and the video in particular is a travesty. Fist, it's the Sun and nobody should ever believe a word written in it. Second, you might just about be able to get away with cold-water cooking dry pasta that is reasonably chunky but not too chunky and can be immediately and fully submerged in water (penne, fusili, spaghetti if cooking in a massive pan). It will still come out with a starch coating, however. Something small, like orzo pasta, will probably turn into gloop. Something larger like lasagna sheets will most likely stick together. Third, any fresh pasta will 100% turn to gloop if put into cold water. Filling will come out of things like ravioli and tortelloni and dissolve in the water.

That recipe video - ugh. Onions and garlic need to be fried in oil to release their flavour properly. Pasta with boiled onions? Boiling fresh basil leaves for 10 minutes (!!!)? No thanks. No wonder the guy kept grating mountains of cheese into that pasta. It would have no flavour whatsoever without it.

thisneverendingsummer

Your source for cooking advice is The Sun?

My mates once had a beautiful arguement on a related theme. He insisted that the pasta just absorbed the water and it didn't even need to be hot... She proved he was totally and utterly wrong by sticking some pasta in a glass of cold water and leaving it... by the end of the night the pasta was still pretty hard and covered in a slimy skin

Boil first so you know your timings are reliable.

Boil first so you know your timings are reliable.

Timings on packets seem to be overly optimistic (either that, or they like undercooked pasta). And we like al dente ...

I've been kicking around long enough to know that being a chef doesn't automatically make you an authority on all things food-related. Or even a good cook, judging by some of the meals I've had

As a general note, if in doubt about any aspect of Italian food (as much as there is such thing), then checking how Anna Del Conte does it is usually the way forward for me!

YADNBU

LTB!