Don’t throw away the pasta water: Useful tips on how to reuse the cooking water!

Cooking pasta is one of the simplest techniques in the kitchen. Even the most inexperienced home cook can prepare delicious pasta dishes. However, there are more tricks to this notoriously simple task than you think – and saving the pasta water is one of them. The cooking water is the liquid that is left after the pasta has been cooked. Even if it looks cloudy and dirty, it is the key to a successful sauce and a nice pasta dish, for example. Find out below why you shouldn’t throw away the pasta water!

Why is pasta water valuable?

The water that the pasta was cooked in is full of starch, which is often rich in minerals and vitamins. Pouring it away when draining the pasta would be a complete waste. Pasta cooking water is one of the best products in the kitchen. The less water you have, the more concentrated it is. It is recommended to only fill the pot with 3-5 cm more water than the noodles. You can freeze your leftover pasta cooking water in an ice cube tray to use in future dishes.

Don’t throw away pasta water: reuse it in sauces

The most obvious use for pasta water is to add it to the sauce you plan to serve with your freshly cooked pasta. It may sound strange, but a dash of this starchy and salty liquid is the secret behind the smooth and delicious restaurant-quality pasta sauces. The starch content of the cooking water not only helps bind other ingredients in a pasta sauce, but can also act as a thickening agent. This sets the average pasta sauce apart from the silky-smooth delights found in high-end restaurants. Also, the salt that you used to season your pasta in the pot is also added to the water, adding extra flavor to your sauce.

Using in pesto is really a life hack

As mentioned earlier, the starch and salt in the pasta water not only serve as flavoring but also serve as a great binding agent. Otherwise, it’s perfect for making the best pesto you’ve ever tasted.

Degreasing dishes – pasta cooking water works wonders

The pasta water is rich in starches and degreasing substances, making it excellent for soaking the pot you cooked the pasta in or your lunch dishes. Immerse the dishes and cookware in the still hot water and let all the pots and plates soak for a few minutes. After that, all you have to do is wipe them with a sponge and washing-up liquid to make them shiny and clean again.

Pasta water as a base for soups and stews

The cooking water from the pasta is the ideal base for all meals that require a lot of water, such as soups and stews. In addition, using the water you cooked the pasta in allows you to save on salt since you only need to add very little.

The cooking water is perfect for preparing many types of vegetables

Even if the water has already been used to cook pasta, it can be reused for a new preparation – for steamed vegetables or fish, for example. This is a healthy preparation and a great way to save water.

Use it in the dough for pizza

The pasta cooking water is ideal for preparing homemade bread, pizza and focaccia. Add the cooking water to the dough, but watch out for the salt because you’ll need to balance it with the salt already in the water.

The perfect hair mask with pasta water

If you don’t want to reuse the pasta cooking water in the kitchen and you like natural remedies, you can use it for a hair mask. Thanks to the starch and salt content, it becomes a real beauty treatment that leaves the hair soft and shiny. Make a mask to apply to hair before shampooing. Leave the mask on for fifteen minutes before washing your hair to soften it.

Don’t throw away the pasta water: it can be used as a foot bath

The salts and starches contained in the pasta cooking water are also a real panacea for swelling of the feet and legs. Don’t throw away that water you cooked the spaghetti in for dinner, use it for a nice, relaxing foot soak before bed. Add a few drops of essential oil or bubble bath, sit on the sofa and watch an episode of your favorite series.

Soak the legumes in the pasta cooking water

Legumes include various foods such as beans, peas, and flaxseed, all of which are excellent for the immune system and offer a range of other health benefits. For best results with legumes, soak them before use to help them soften and cook better. If you want to give your legumes the final touch, soak them in the leftover pasta water overnight.

Use pasta water for the plants

Finally, you can use the cooking water that you let cool to water the plants and flowers on the patio, but only if you don’t add salt to the pasta. However, if the water is salty then you should not use it as you could dry out and kill your beloved plants.