When cooking pasta...

[Deidre]

Do you:

1) Let the water boil first, without pasta, lid off?
2) Let the water boil first, without pasta, lid on?
3) Place the pasta in cold water and then boil? (lid on or off?)

Normally, I let the water boil first but feeling lazy tonight and the water and pasta are heating up, together.

Lid on!

 

[Rival]

Boil water lid off.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Do you:

1) Let the water boil first, without pasta, lid off?
2) Let the water boil first, without pasta, lid on?
3) Place the pasta in cold water and then boil? (lid on or off?)

Normally, I let the water boil first but feeling lazy tonight and the water and pasta are heating up, together.

Lid on!

I add virgin olive oil and boil for 5-10 min, then let sit until its perfect pasta worthy of the saying budda boom, budda bing!

 

[Yerda]

Boil water lid off.

This, always.

 

[Deidre]

Most of the time, I boil water too with the lid off then add the pasta. @Twilight Hue - I add EVO too to the water, I do this when cooking rice, too.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Can I ask why people boil water with the lid off?
(Assuming you meant sans pasta)

 

[crossfire]

Most of the time, I boil water too with the lid off then add the pasta. @Twilight Hue - I add EVO too to the water, I do this when cooking rice, too.

Pasta: Boil water first, then add pasta
Rice: cold water, salt, and rice go into the pan at the beginning, boil until the bubbles disappear, cover the pan and put on the lowest heat setting (or turn off heat altogether if the pan retains a lot of heat) for about 20 minutes.

 

[Deidre]

Can I ask why people boil water with the lid off?
(Assuming you meant sans pasta)

Just watching my grandmother and mom do it this way. I put the lid on though sometimes, like tonight. But the lid on causes the water to boil over into the burner and no lid doesn’t. (If I walk away for too long) Cooking logic?

 

[Shadow Wolf]

The way it should be/proper way:
Boiling water first, with seasons added first (I use an Italian herb blend with spaghetti, and it has a double bonus of making the house smell lovely) and NO OIL (sauces will not stick to the noodles as well). No lid, ideally in a glass pot.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Just watching my grandmother and mom do it this way. I put the lid on though sometimes, like tonight. But the lid on causes the water to boil over into the burner and no lid doesn’t. (If I walk away for too long) Cooking logic?

Well...that's true. The water gets hotter quicker, is all. Far as I know, anyway.

 

[Brickjectivity]

....and you know that pasta is done if you throw a piece at a (clean) wall and it sticks.

 

[Revoltingest]

Can I ask why people boil water with the lid off?
(Assuming you meant sans pasta)

My speculation....
Lid on: Too difficult to set proper heat for a boil without it boiling over.
Lid off: The more vigorous the boil, the greater the heat loss due to
turbulence, so it's less sensitive to heat level (ie, it's more stable).

 

[Jainarayan]

1. Boil the water with a bit of salt. It does bring out the taste of the semolina. DO NOT add oil. It will coat the pasta, and your sauce will not cling to it.
2. I put a lid on the pot before it boils. It may be my imagination but I think it starts to boil faster.
3. I put the pasta in and let it boil uncovered.

The worst thing to say to an Italian cook...

 

[Viker]

Do you:

1) Let the water boil first, without pasta, lid off?
2) Let the water boil first, without pasta, lid on?
3) Place the pasta in cold water and then boil? (lid on or off?)

Normally, I let the water boil first but feeling lazy tonight and the water and pasta are heating up, together.

Lid on!

1

 

[Shadow Wolf]

1. Boil the water with a bit of salt. It does bring out the taste of the semolina. DO NOT add oil. It will coat the pasta, and your sauce will not cling to it.
2. I put a lid on the pot before it boils. It may be my imagination but I think it starts to boil faster.
3. I put the pasta in and let it boil uncovered.

The worst thing to say to an Italian cook...

View attachment 53254

The real question is how many here realize the culinary value of all that starchy water?

 

[SigurdReginson]

Water first, lid off. I don't need to make extra dishes, and I'm not that impatient.

 

[Deidre]

The real question is how many here realize the culinary value of all that starchy water?

What do you use it for? I’ve seen it used on cooking shows - poured over pasta and mixed with garlic and other seasonings?

 

[Deidre]

Okay so how about hard boiling eggs? Same questions apply

 

[Secret Chief]

Far as I know, anyway.

Are you speculating about what goes on in kitchens?

 

[SigurdReginson]

Okay so how about hard boiling eggs? Same questions apply

I have an appliance dedicated to boiling my eggs. I can do it in a pot just fine, but the convenience of putting it in a machine and forgetting about it while having perfectly runny yikes every time is just too good to ignore.

It's like rice. You can cook it on a stove, sure... But why? This is the 21st century. Let's get with the times and buy a rice cooker.