DP is a maniac

[Kittycuddles]

So today I was chatting (via text) with my dp and was discussing dinner (what he was having at his place) and so he says about having pasta and maybe just adding tomatoes, butter and sweet corn or skmething to that extent as he didnt have much in.

I got confused and asked if he was going to add the butter on top of the cooked pasta, thinking you know, each to their own but that's kinda ew.

And he says no. In the water whilst cooking.

I said ew

He said don't judge me, it's just instead of oil cause we don't have any here at my place.

Aibu to think he is a raving loony to cook pasta by PUTTING OIL OR BUTTER KN THE BOILING WATER WHILST IT COOKS??????

ITS DEFUNCT. THE OIL FLOATS TO THE TOP. SURELY IT MAKES IT GREASY. WTF?????

I put oil in the water when cooking pasta.

I have never heard of that but it sounds gross! (not envy)

Putting oil in helps prevent the pasta from sticking together.

Some weirdos people think you add oil to the water to stop the pasta sticking together. They are wrong and perverse.

A little bit stops it sticking together.

I'm more concerned about the tomato and sweetcorn - he is going to cook that as a sauce, isn't he?

Its quite normal to put a splash of oil into pasta water to prevent the pasta from clumping up. In theory, butter might do the same but I've never tried it. He's not quite the maniac...

You add salt and a splash of olive oil to the pasta water.

Italians add oil to the water to stop it boiling over. It also seems to keep the pasta hotter for longer imo.

You're supposed to add a bit of oil to the water when you are cooking pasta. It stops it from sticking together.

I always put olive oil in the pasta water.

I read that you shouldn't add oil because it coats the pasta meaning the sauce doesn't stick properly.

You put oil in and give it a stir so the pasta doesn't clump together- although I haven't tried butter. Guess it would work! He may not be a maniac.

Perfectly normal to add oil to the water or butter to the cooked pasta.

I only add oil if I'm cooking spagetti, it always clumps together!

Very common to put oil in the water. I don't, but I do drain then transfer the pasta to the sauce on the heat and finish cooking it in that with a scoop of the pasta water, and then stir through a knob of butter. It emulsifies and seals in the flavour.

Italians do not add oil! What defamation!

www.rd.com/food/fun/never-add-oil-to-pasta-water/

You should cook pasta in a very large pot with lots of room and water, that way it doesn’t stick and is less starchy.

Shocking.

Well, it’s a waste of butter, but meh.

You want a big pan with loads of water on a roiling boil and then you don’t need oil to stop it sticking.

He’d be better off adding the butter to the tomatoes as they cook (with onion, garlic and salt) and skipping the sweetcorn

LTB

That is all.

I’m sure this is something that was bastardised from some cook book over the years, my mum used to do it. Pasta doesn’t clump or stick unless your pot is too small. And Italians don’t do it.

I admit though one of Hugh F-W recipes is pasta, blue cheese and chopped tomatoes and it’s lovely.

Married to an italian. He would divorce me if I used either oil or butter in the pasta water.

A huge pan of boiling v salted water is all you need, apparently.

Of course you put some oil in the water to stop it all sticking together (unless you have some massive pan with loads of water and relatively little pasta)

Damn, I was hoping that he was dancing like he never danced before.

Ugh. Oil in pasta water? The sauce won't stick to the drained pasta properly and I'm willing to bet that the pasta water won't have the same gluten-y quality that turns pasta sauces glossy and perfect.

You need more salt than you think too - I used to be far too British about it and never put in enough. Now I make sure I have the right ratio of pasta:water:salt. Definitely makes a difference.