Does Adding Oil to Cooking Water Keep Pasta from Sticking?

Does adding oil to cooking water

KEEP PASTA FROM STICKING?
Dribbling a dash of olive oil into the cooking water is common practice,
believed to give pasta a smooth coating and to keep it separated.

Clumps of bland, sticky pasta aren’t early stages of cooking, when starch
appetizing. Advice on how to on the pasta surface turns into a
stop pasta sticking ranges from sticky gel. As pasta firms, the
adding olive oil to stirring SAUCE THAT STICKS pieces will separate and you
the water. Knowing how and can stop stirring.
KEEP SOME OF THE
when to apply the advice S TA R C H Y PA S TA WAT E R
will help you perfect your T O U S E A S A T H IC K E N IN G When to add oil
pasta cooking. A N D B IN D IN G A G E N T The next sticking point is at
IN YO U R S A U C E . the end of cooking, as pasta
Adding a dash
of lubricating The role of stirring cools and starch from the water
oil before Observant cooks will be skeptical of becomes gluey. Unless using a sauce, a
serving helps
pasta to
the merits of adding oil to the cooking water drizzle of olive oil now coats the pasta to stop
separate. as oil simply blobs on the surface, away from it sticking. Rinsing cooked pasta in fresh hot
the pasta. It is more effective to stir pasta in the water also removes this starchy glue.

How starch acts on pasta

Dried pasta takes about 8 minutes to cook. Starch seeps from the pasta
Knowing the right moment to stir or add oil surface into the cooking water.
will ensure it doesn’t stick.

BEFORE COOKING 1–2 MINUTES 3–6 MINUTES 7–8 MINUTES AFTER COOKING
Dry pasta contains Pasta swells as it Starch continues Once outer starch Add a drizzle of
starch granules takes in water, and to soften on the layers have olive oil (if not
that are held in gets sticky as starch surface of the firmed, they stop using a sauce) or
place by a protein turns gel-like. Stir pasta. Stir sticking together rinse the pasta in
mesh. Cooking continuously occasionally to and you can stop just-boiled water
breaks open the now to help keep the pasta stirring the pasta. to stop it sticking.
granules. stop sticking. separated.