Stop breaking your spaghetti and other crimes
Rinsing noodles, sauce on top, tiny pots. Let’s talk.
My friend texting “am I supposed to rinse my noodles after cooking?”
The client who still serves sauce on top “how mom always did it.”
This post is for them.
And maybe for you too !
I get so many questions all the time, and I said I’d help level up your pasta game—so here we are.
Hope this clears things up.
Em
AM I SUPPOSED TO RINSE MY NOODLES AFTER COOKING?
No. Rinsing washes off the starch and that starch is your MVP.
It’s what makes the sauce cling instead of sliding off like lotion on dry skin. Imagine that pasta has pores and when it’s hot, they’re wide open. Drain it and toss it straight into the sauce while it’s still hot and steamy. That’s how you get flavor in the pasta—not just on it.
IS IT A CRIME TO PUT THE SAUCE ON TOP?
Short answer : it is.
Longer answer : pasta and sauce belong together. You need to finish cooking your pasta in the pan, in the sauce, with a little pasta water to help it cling.
It’s the wedding ceremony. The flavors marry. They get to know each other. The magic happens and you get that glossy finish.
IS AL DENTE JUST NOT FULLY COOKED?
Not just “not fully cooked.” Al dente means cooked right—firm, chewy and structurally sound. It holds its own and happens to be easier to digest too.
Wanna hit perfect al dente? Cook it to the low end of the time range and taste it. That’s how you know.