If you're trying not to waste water, you probably want to recycle the water used for cooking pasta instead of throwing it away. The pasta cooking water can be used to prepare broths for soups or bread. It can also be drunk or used to water plants. However, remember that you can only recycle it up to a certain point: once it has become excessively cloudy due to the high concentration of starch, be sure to throw it away.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Reuse the Pasta Cooking Water in the Kitchen
Step 1. Since the pasta cooking water contains starch and retains the flavor of semolina or flour, it can be reused to make bread
In this case, keep it in the fridge and use it instead of tap water when you want to make bread at home.
Step 2. The pasta cooking water is also excellent for flavoring and enriching the texture of the rice, so use it instead of tap water
If you have to cook different types of dishes, it is better to pour the water from the pasta into another pot when cooked. Then, bring it to a boil and use it to cook the rice
Step 3. If you want to make a pasta sauce, don't waste the cooking water and use it to dilute the sauce if it is thick
The sauce will then become lighter and easier to stir, and the cooking water of the pasta will also make it tastier.
Step 4. After cooking, the water retains the flavor of the pasta and retains starch
If you also boiled vegetables with the pasta, the taste will be even more decisive. Consequently, it can be used to make soup broths. Replace the vegetable or chicken broth with the pasta cooking water.
This method is particularly suitable for those who prefer to keep sodium consumption under control, of which the broth is often full. Replacing it with the pasta cooking water will substantially reduce your salt intake
Method 2 of 3: Other Uses for Pasta Cooking Water
Step 1. If you compost, you can pour a small amount of the pasta cooking water directly into the composter
This way you will recycle it and there will be no waste.
Step 2. Once cooked, let the pasta cool, then use it to water the plants
This is another great idea to avoid wasting it.
- Wait for it to cool - boiling water can kill plants.
- Some people have noticed that pasta cooking water has an adverse effect on their plants. If they wilt, stop using it.
Step 3. If you have boiled some vegetables with the pasta, or if you have cooked some pasta added to it, minerals and vitamins will be left inside, albeit in minimal quantities
You can let it cool and drink it later.
Method 3 of 3: Take Precautions
Step 1. Before using the pasta cooking water to make bread or soups, let it cool enough to taste
It is in fact possible that the flavor does not go well with the recipe you have in mind. In this case, try using it to do something else.
Step 2. The pasta cooking water should not be used for cleaning, primarily because it is rich in starch
Also, if you have boiled vegetables or other foods in it, it will also become colorful. You would therefore risk staining the surfaces of the house.
Step 3. The pasta cooking water can only be reused up to a certain point, as it becomes impure and opaque over time
If you use it to cook pasta more than once, the starch will be more and more concentrated, making it excessively thick. If you use it repeatedly to boil pasta, throw it away once it has taken on a thick, cloudy consistency.
