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...

Rubbish. There are plenty of Italians who cook from cold water. It’s personal preference. And when cooked properly shouldnt make it soggy or mushy!

how about cooking glutton free - no matter what I do its either mush or undercooked - anybody got ideas for that!

whoops gluten free (Freudian Slip!)

mumsastudent, use rice udon noodles instead? They come out alright. Gluten free Italian-style pasta is a bit grim, I agree.

small amounts of pasta (single small portion) I cook like your dh.

but normal family sized portions are cooked with boiling salt water.

I watched one of our lodger make tuna pasta once.
She put water in the pan. Added the pasta. Then added a tin of tuna.
I left the kitchen at that point......

There are plenty of Italians who cook from cold water.

Bollocks.

MrsTerryPratchett

I thought that. But then it occured to me that "plenty" might have been idiom for "nobody at all" ....

That makes sense DG.

He is absolutely wrong

Google how to cook pasta and all the links come up boil the water. And yes, I don't believe there are loads of Italians who bung it in cold water 🤣

It doesn't just go kinda gloopy though if cooked from cold water, it also erodes much of its flavour.

Who cares though as long as you like it the way you cook it, that's all that matters.

My DH does this and also when boiling vegetables. Im the better cook so it's been a while since I've tasted any of his "cooking" but the one thing I hate is when he doesn't salt the water! Pasta, rice or veg cooked without salt in the water taste so bland!

I cook it however the packet tells me to...

DH blithely ignores that and just sticks dried pasta in boiling water for 10 minutes. He doesn't even time it!

Pasta should go in the instant pot. No other option ever. Ever. Ever.

Perfect every time.

I feel ill just at the thought.

@mumsastudent instant pot.

Pasta, rice or veg cooked without salt in the water taste so bland!

And don't ever try and tell me that adding salt at the table "i's the same" ...

Please put some salt in the water when you cook pasta before serving it to an Italian. They will all know if you have not salted the water as you can taste the difference (I certainly can). DH tried to sneak this past me sometimes but I can always tell.
As for putting pasta in cold water, I am flabbergasted. I had no idea this was even a thing and would also weep if I saw it being done.

Starting with cold water must mess up the cooking time surely?

If I'm in a rush I'll put a little water in the pan and put it on the hob on max heat (so the hob and pan get heated up) and simultaneously boil the kettle for the rest of the water.

Even when I cooked pasta in a microwave, the water had to be boiled in the kettle first.

That's assuming dried pasta. I expect any decent professional chef would use fresh.

I've never salted the water though. I thought that was just supposed to make it cook quicker?

Even if it affects the taste I probably still wouldn't salt though, because we're always being told to eat less salt and for me pasta doesn't need it.

I boil the kettle, turn the hob on, put the boiling water into the pan then the pasta. Takes too long to wait for it to come to the boil on my -really shit old- cooker

I don't add salt to pasta water for health reasons and because I have small children and you are not supposed to give a lot of salt to them. I can totally understand how pasta in salted water will taste better, but I forgo this pleasure for the sake of a (slightly) healthier life. You sort of get used to tasting things without so much salt too. Tastebuds adjust.

I’m the same, autumn.

Everything tastes better with salt but DH has high BP and has to use as little salt as possible.

I’ve got used to pasta, rice and potatoes cooked without salt (though I add a shitload to mash after I’ve taken DH’s out).

salt is to give flavor and make it boil faster
www.reference.com/science/salt-make-water-boil-faster-abec508cff423e26
But other sources say it makes it boils slower!:

www.thoughtco.com/adding-salt-increases-water-boiling-point-607447

They can't both be true!
Overall it's now considered a bad idea to add salt as you cook because it tends to lead to us eating more of it, and getting used to everything tasting salty.