This is why pasta instructions will tell you to add the pasta only when the water is at a vigorous boil. Either you stir, or you have the pasta boiling like it's a volcano about to pop.

There was a neat cooking blog where an italian fella went into all the 'old myths' that his grandmother used to tell him: Vigorous boiling; Large Pot; when to add sauce; etc. It all boiled down to knowing what you're cooking. Pasta is starchy, so if it sits in hot water instead of being tumbled about, all the starch that's been liberated into the water settles back on the pasta (and not in a good way).

[–] Fredselfish@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Okay we need a blog post on the best way to cook pasta. I am going try all these methods out. We cook a lot of it in my home. But the kids hate the sauce. Any suggestions?

[–] PickTheStick@lemmy.fmhy.ml 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Okay, I think this is the one I read way long ago, but it says it was updated in 2021. I remember when I read it must have been early 2010s, and this dude even admits his grandmother was an impasta so... /shrug Amazing how memory gets skewed. I must have remembered the grandmother not being Italian line and somehow mangled it into him being Italian.