Pasta strainers: One of the easiest utensils in the kitchen to use, right? You just pop it in the sink, and dump your pasta in there, and then dump the pasta out of the strainer, back into the pot. Wait though. What if that’s not… right.
A Twitter user has brought to our attention that apparently we’ve been using pasta strainers all wrong.
The tweet has blown minds across the internet.
It's been retweeted 22,000 times, so obviously 22,000 people agree that this is groundbreaking news for the amateur culinary world.
In theory, this is amazing, because it saves one entire step in the pasta straining process, and time saved is faster pasta. It also reduces the risk of tragic pasta loss between transfers.
On the other hand, are there too many variables here? This process requires holding two things at once, and for those of us who are less coordinatedly-abled, this could result in leaking boiling water all over ourselves, and precious pasta lost to the floor. Also, what if your strainer is a different size to your pasta pot? Do you just hold it at the bottom and hope for the best, or do you go out and start a whole new collection of pasta strainers in every size?
According to celebrity chef and pasta expert Giada De Laurentiis who spoke to Today in the US, this approach is "a tad bit risky and dangerous if you don't have a perfectly fitting strainer and pot combination". She also said it makes her "sad to see that beautiful pasta water go down the drain".
James Briscione, director of culinary research for the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City told Today the best way to cook your pasta is to "scoop it directly from the water into your sauce".
"You want to get a little of that starchy water into your sauce to improve the flavour and texture of the sauce and also help the sauce hold on to the pasta better," he said.
You can do this using tongs, or by using the colander the way most of us do - by pouring the pot of pasta into it, and leaving it to sit in some of the pasta water.
We no longer have any idea how we're meant to use a pasta strainer. But I'm more than willing to accept I'm probably doing it wrong.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.
Top Comments
I just get a ladle and draw out some of the pasta water and put it in the sauce, then I dump the remaining water when the noodles are done. I have lids that have built in strainers, so no need for the dumping game.
Built in strainers? What brand please???
Yes, I used to do the hold the strainer on the pot method. Now I do whatever works with my old injuries.