If you’ve ever stood over a colander wondering, “Should I rinse pasta?” the answer is simple: ABSOLUTELY NOT. Italians never rinse pasta, because doing so washes away the very ingredient that gives pasta their heavenly taste: starch. That starch is what binds the pasta to its sauce, turning an ordinary dish into an incredible masterpiece. No matter what pasta shape you love—orecchiette, farfalle, long pasta, or short shape pasta, the rule is the same. Rinsing ruins it.
The secret to authentic Italian pasta recipes is always keeping that precious starch. Without it, your pasta becomes slippery, bland, and honestly, really sad.
But, like everything in Italian cooking, there’s a story here. Let me break it down for you so you never make this big mistake again.
💯 Follow this link to learn more about pasta and how to cook it:
https://www.vincenzosplate.com/should-you-rinse-pasta/
#pasta #pastalover #vincenzosplate
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⏱️⏱️TIMECODES⏱️⏱️
0:00 Introduction to Why Italians Don’t Rinse Their Pasta
0:44 The Power of Pasta Starch
1:46 The Only Time It’s Okay to Rinse Pasta
2:18 How to Cook Pasta the Right Way
3:44 Why Olive Oil in Pasta Water Is a Bad Idea
4:21 Stick with Traditional Methods
5:25 Final Thoughts: Don’t Rinse Your Pasta
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🎬 #VincenzosPlate is a YouTube channel with a focus on cooking, determined to teach the world, one video recipe at a time that you don’t need to be a professional chef to impress friends, family and yourself with mouth-watering #ItalianFoodRecipes right out of your very own kitchen whilst having a laugh (and a glass of vino!).
34 Comments
For my the worst is dry pasta with the sauce on top on the side i can live it it not being al dente i'm used to it
❤👍 I never ever rinsed pasta ever. Yes of course cold pasta needs rinsing I thought everyone knew that I guess I was wrong who knew not me.
who on earth rinses their pasta…
It will probably make you angry(sorry in advance) but around here, people usually do rinse their pasta.
After rinsing the pasta, we put oil and sliced potato at the bottom of the pot, cook it a bit and then put the pasta in to get steamed with the potato. It's what we call Tahdig, literally meaning the bottom of the pot.
The reason is that people hate al dente pasta around here, and also steaming the pasta with potato, and frying the potato at the same time, gives pasta it's flavor and tales flavor from it. after that, the sauce is added and mixed.
It's not an italian dish anymore, it got localized to people's tastes around here, but it's delicious.
This advice is so much more important than not breaking spaghetti, which is just a traditional italian thing and wouldn't affect the taste either way. Rinsing pasta actually degrades the dish!
Jesus…. I use Pasta noodles for various recipes not only Italian spaghetti but also Ramen, Chajangmeyon and etc. Well cold noodles like Cholmyeon, Nangmeyon needs to chil noodles but for this recipe Pasta noodle does not feat for it.(I do not know how to call this noodle in English but these kind of noodles are only for cold noodles). So washing Pasta with cold water… Oh well for me it is wierd.
I agree with almost everything. The use of a large amount of water is wasting a lot of energy and that is not sustainable my friend. I find it irresponsible to keep advising that just because you are used to it. Using less water just takes a few more stirs. And the benefit is having more starch and saving money. A win-win situation.
Which of the following are you?
1) I always rinse my pasta
2) My family rinse the pasta but I learned not to?
3) I have never rinsed pasta and never will?
So I rinse only one pasta and that is when I make lasagna. I rinse the dry pasta sheets after I've normally boiled them for 2-3 minutes less than the cooking time. I do it to keep them from sticking as I assemble the lasagna. Is there a better way?
Wow, I have NEVER head of that myth. The only (false) myth I've ever heard regarding pasta was to add oil to the water while it cooks to keep it from sticking.
Lol, pasta is not laundry.
I had no idea people rinsed their pasta until now. If people don't want their pasta to stick, you just need to salt the water and make sure there's enough space in the pot for the pasta to swim. It likes to swim. But nobody likes to swim in a cramped pool.
Youtube: "Hey, I know everyone does [insane shit], but here's an explanation with flowcharts and 7 citations why that's a common misconception." Me: "I'm sorry, what? People are doing what?!"
We have to use gluten free pasta as my wife is celiac and we rinse the pasta to cool it down quickly as it is very prone to overcooking and falling apart.
We reserve some water for starch for the sauce with a mug.
Oh, the dreaded plop of clumpy pasta that was rinsed and left waiting in a colander for the sauce to finish! Many of us were taught so wrong!😂
Vincenzo once again just living in fairy tale land. Nobody rinses their pasta- where do you get all this nonsense from?
I never ever wash pasta. Always knew it wasn't allowed and I always save Pasta Water for Sauces too. Your channel is Wonderful.
Thank you for this beautiful insight..
Love from Kenya!
ive seen elbow macaroni only be rinsed when making hawaiian mac salad… i cannot confirm this authenticity. but i think its to make sure the starches dont overly clump up the dressing. which tends to be milk mayo and vinegar
edit: i didnt get to your cold pasta salad segment before writing this lol
I never rinsed pasta. Is this an American thing? I have never seen this in Denmark. And oh no oil in the water too 🙂
Never done (rinsing pasta). ❤️ 🇮🇹 and their food❣️
My mother used to put a cup of water when the pasta had finished cooking I don’t know why I used to do for a while but now I don’t do it
Before I've rinsed the pasta because I thought if I'm cooling it down quickly it will benefit it. But after I've learned its not good practice.
Now I'm just simply undercooking. I know you are always suggesting to follow the instructions but that simply not works for me, not all manufacturer so precise. And if the sauce medium hot I cook the pasta 2 min shorter than recommended. If I will boil 1 min the pasta and the sauce together then in the water I would cook 5 min shorter than recommended.
So if the manufacturer stating 10 min then 5 enough and 1-2 with the sauce. The rest off from flames and stirr a bit otherwise bottom pasta overcooking and top pasta remain a bit raw. I like to see hair thin raw part when I cut the rigatone half then I know the sauce will finish it.
Maybe I'm doing wrong or maybe I just prefer my pasta harder but this is the best method for me to remain al dente with the sauce too.
So how would I prevent lasagna noodles from sticking when I'm putting together the lasagna in the tray? I usually pour off some pasa water and add cold water to the pot while I build the lasagna. Then the whole thing goes into the oven. Is that correct?
Who does???
💯%
I never rinse pasta, only when i’m in a hurry to get the pasta cold for pasta salad.
Never! I use butter and olive oil…after draining.
Good video.
Madness, I never rinse pasta but always rinse rice.
So USA is lieing to people, they say starch is bad for you and you should rinse the starch off. That was a lie all along? Wow thanks for this tip. Now I know to cook my pasta with starch
Who are you talking about? No one has ever taught me to rinse pasta. I've never rinsed pasta. It literally says don't rinse on the box. I've never seen a chef tell me to rinse pasta. Who are people learning this from?
I was taught to NEVER rinse the pasta. My nonna would have had a fit, for the reasons mentioned. However, I do remember when it was common for southern Italian people to rinse it, especially for a seafood pasta. It gives sort of a cleaner brighter texture. Sometimes traditions change. For example, the older generation in some regions used to break their spaghetti. Now, they pretend like it never happened.
I find these opinions dated and exaggerated. There is no right way or wrong way, just the way you were raised and how your taste developed growing up. Italians don't rinse the pasta for the sauce to stick, while for example greeks might wash it but add grated cheese on it before adding the sauce, which has exactly the same effect and tastes just as great to them. So, pick the one that suits you and stick to that. Keeping tradition is one thing, but the whole "if you do it my way you will like it better because I know what is best" is patronising and unacceptable. And remember that OCD is manageable with therapy and medication 😂