Pasta is a household staple for many. It’s an easy weeknight dish and delicious. But a simple cooking tool could be affecting your dish.
Your colander could be overcooking your pasta, and while we know that seems farfetched, hear us out.
After testing colanders, America’s Test Kitchen explained that using the wrong colander can keep your noodles sitting in water and lead to them cooking further. When that happens, it can be only a matter of seconds until they’re overcooked and potentially mushy.
The outlet points to colanders which feature large holes in strategic groupings that are most responsible. Because the holes are large but spaced out, the water drains slower and could lead to overcooking. The best option is a mesh colander or one with small holes.
Colanders that are filled with smaller holes throughout remove water faster. As a result, you’re less likely to get overcooked pasta that’s sat in water for a bit too long.
Preventing your pasta from overcooking isn’t the only way to make your dishes just a bit better, though. There’s prep work you can do before boiling them. Toasting your noodles is a great way to infuse them with flavor, and if you’re making spaghetti, you might want to consider cooking your noodles in sauce.
The next time you plan a spaghetti night, you might want to switch out that colander of yours.
