Passionate foodies are pretty divided when it comes to one step of the pasta-cooking process—rinsing. Some can’t imagine cooking pasta without it, while others avoid it at all costs. At the end of the day, it all comes down to the dish you’re preparing, and this brief guide will help you make the final verdict.
Pasta Salads
Rinsing your pasta is highly recommended when it comes to cold pasta dishes, such as pasta salad. Rinsing will help you bring the temperature of your pasta down, in addition to stopping the cooking process, and you’ll be ready to use it as soon as possible to make pasta salad.
Hot Dishes
Unlike pasta salad, pasta dishes that are served warm won’t benefit from rinsing. If you’re using sauces to take your pasta to the next level, rinsing will only make things more difficult because they won’t be properly absorbed after the pasta is stripped of its starchy coating.
Stir Fry Dishes
If you’re making stir-fry dishes with spaghetti or Asian-style noodles, feel free to rinse them. Draining isn’t enough because your noodles will become gummy and clump together, and rinsing them could lead to a much tastier stir-fry.
