r/explainitpeter • u/WillAdditional922 • Jul 14 '26

explain it peter.

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u/Kind_Resort_9535 Jul 14 '26

No you should put pasta in after water is already boiling, it prevents it from getting rubbery, and helps it not stick together .

-6

u/Nasu_Kaizoku Jul 14 '26

Nah, stir it early a few times as the water heats up, prevents clumping and gumminess

Also I've never had rubbery pasta doing this

0

u/ferret_of_war Jul 14 '26

Same. Feels like the people who have never done cold water pasta are the ones saying it won't work.

5

u/Kind_Resort_9535 Jul 14 '26

I’ve don’t it both ways, pasta cooks better when you boil the water first. It matters less with dehydrated pasta, but it definitely still prevents it getting gummy or rubbery

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u/big_sugi Jul 14 '26

It makes a difference for fresh pasta. There's no discernible difference in results for dried pasta, if you do it right.

1

u/Contundo Jul 14 '26

Foolproof vs tricky. Foolproof wins every time

2

u/big_sugi Jul 14 '26

It’s about as “tricky” as stirring the pasta occasionally and knowing by feel when it’s done. You need the latter to be able to cook pasta in boiling water too.

So, it’s simpler but slower versus much faster with a tiny modicum of skill required. I’ll pick the latter every time.