Question about pasta water.

The discussion about McGee's techniques on cooking spaghetti in less and/or in cold water reminds me of a question I've thought about from time to time.

Somewhere I remember reading a chef to say that he always used the same water to cook many orders of pasta and then used the flour rich water to make sauces and for other uses. [Batalli, maybe?]

In any event, wouldn't it be possible to boil pasta in a small amount of water not to prepare the pasta but to make p sta water?

I'd try it, but then what would I do with the pasta water itself?

[I feel like a guy with a solution but without a problem. ]

I would usually have a minimum of two pasta pots going on the stove - the one we were using and a backup at least. After a while - sometimes as few as 20 orders with fresh pasta - the water gets too murky to see what one is doing. Then we switch pots.

Just about the only use I ever found for pasta water was "binding" sauces, sauces for pasta. A little of the starchy water on the surface of the pasta helps the sauce adhere.

I nearly had a major catastrophe once. I made the mistake of using the size and style of pot for both the pasta and deep-frying (very few fried foods on my menus). It was opening night in my restaurant, busy as hell. We almost closed after being open only four hours.

I had an apprentice doing the running for the various stations. I told him to fill a gallon measure with water and replenish the pasta pot. The temperature in the pasta pot was right around 212. The temperature of the peanut oil was right around 360. I was working the station, with the line cook, where the two pots were situated.

He filled the measure and ran to the stove and dumped it in the deep fryer.

The flames climbed high into the night to light the nearly sacrificial rite.

Fire extinguisher took care of the problem and the automatic extinguisher over the stove did not ejaculate.

Just another night in the professional kitchen.

Bob, your recollection is accurate. You read that in "Heat."

I use pasta water all the time. When I want a dish not quite soupy, yet not totally dry (e.g. escarole and beans) I will hold back some of the pasta water and then utilize it to lubricate the dish. I've seen Batali cook; his technique is to splash the water from the pasta pot into his sautee pan, using his tongs.

I don't think starchy pasta water is something you want to keep around, so your idea of manufacturing it does not pass cost benefit analysis, IMO.
Since most things that might be enhanced by pasta water would be cooking at the same time as the pasta, you'll always have it on hand when you need it.

I guess that's an argument for using less water to make pasta. I've done that a few times when the big pot was otherwise occupied and the pasta turned out fine.

I'm still not sure what the advantage is of starting pasta in cold water, though.

Thanks for the input. best, Bob

[Jenise]

I guess that's an argument for using less water to make pasta. I've done that a few times when the big pot was otherwise occupied and the pasta turned out fine.

I think his real argument was simply the savings--on a national basis--of those thousands of gallons of water. The murky pasta water was just an additional benefit.

But yes, pasta's fine. When I was a child, one of my kitchen jobs was cooking the pasta. And for a family of six, we prepared 2 lbs in about 5 quarts of water--an 8 qt pan filled 2/3 full, and our efforts were always entirely successful. Additionallly, I would add a tblsp of vegetable oil to further inhibit sticking. It was therefore a surprise to me to, in adulthood, meet devotees of Ms. Hazan and others who wouldn't think of cooking pasta in less than more than twice that amount--and who considered the oil addition sacrilege.

Thanks, Jenise. As always your practical experiences are very helpful. Best, Bob

[David M. Bueker]

devotees of Ms. Hazan and others who wouldn't think of cooking pasta in less than more than twice that amount--and who considered the oil addition sacrilege.

e.g. Alton Brown who specifically states that he always boils at least a gallon of water & woe betide any who use oil.

It takes forever to get a gallon of water to boil.