Why It's A Mistake To Add Your Pasta Before You Boil The Water

Pasta: the Italian invention that a few make properly, but the world enjoys thoroughly. No matter what part of the globe you come from, chances are you've enjoyed at least one variation of this versatile dish. It may even have been one of the first things you learned how to cook.

Italy Magazine estimates that there are around 350 different pasta shapes alone, and each one goes into a variety of dangerously delicious pasta recipes. The best part is, when enjoyed in moderation, studies have shown that pasta doesn't make you gain weight and might also help you lose some. It does sound too good to be true, but when has this ever stopped anyone from whipping up a quick pasta dinner on a busy night?

For a carb so popular, it's interesting how it's so easy to mess up the cooking process. Choosing the wrong pot, using too much fat, and throwing pasta against the wall are some of the common mistakes while cooking pasta that makes us go, "Che fai?" (read: the "pinched finger" emoji), but some mistakes are worse than the others.

One of the rookiest mistakes you can make when it comes to cooking pasta is tossing it in a pot full of cold water. The Italians had it right when they taught us their way of cooking pasta: Fill a pot with water, bring it to a boil, add salt when it comes to a boil, and then toss in the pasta after half a minute (via Life in Italy). When you cook pasta in this manner, it turns out great, and if the timing is just right, al dente.

According to what pasta expert Anthony Contrino told Today, adding pasta to boiling water instead of cold water is the way to go because as we mentioned above, the pasta cooks evenly. "When you add to cold water, first of all, the salt isn't going to dissolve quick enough to flavor the pasta and, depending on the pasta, you risk not being able to achieve al dente," he said.

There's even a nutritional incentive to start your pasta in boiling water. Chef Palak Patel told the outlet that when you cook pasta for too long, not only can it become mushy, but the glycemic index may increase. According to NHS, a high glycemic index in food can cause a rapid spike in blood sugar.