Please don't laugh.
It doesn't seem to matter whether I rinse the pasta first, or whether I wait until the water is boiling before I put it in, and I've been EVEN MORE CAREFUL than usual to make sure the pots are rinsed properly after I scrub them! I do my own dishes, and I have nobody to blame if I get sick!
I don't understand why this happens. As it boils, it foams up like there was soap in the water! I'm getting to the pont where I'm afraid there might be something wrong with the pasta.
Is it safe to eat?
Has this ever happened to you?
What causes it...?
2007-05-10 08:22:24 · 9 answers · asked by cdf-rom 7 in Food & Drink ➔ Other - Food & Drink
Try adding a little bit of salt and olive oil to the water. Not much, just a pinch of salt and teaspoon or olive oil.
2007-05-10 08:27:38 · answer #1 · answered by Stanicus 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cooking pasta is an art form anyone can learn. Assemble an easy sauce, and just toss with your al dente pasta. Here's how. Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 20 minutes Here's How: 1.Fill a large stockpot with water. The more the better - pasta only sticks when cooked in too little water. 2.Add salt. Salt makes pasta taste better, and won't appreciably increase the sodium level of your recipes. Use 1 teaspoon per gallon of water. At that level, 2 ounces of uncooked pasta (1 cup cooked), the FDA serving size, absorbs about 20 mg of sodium which is about 1% of the recommended daily sodium intake. 3.Bring the water to a rolling boil. This means a boil you can't stop by stirring. 4.Measure the pasta you need. Pasta generally doubles in size when cooked, so 1 cup uncooked = 2 cups cooked. Refer to the recipe if necessary. 5.Slowly add the pasta to the boiling water. Ideally, the water shouldn't stop boiling, but if that happens, it's ok. 6.Stir and stir some more! Pasta will stick together if it isn't stirred during the crucial first moments of cooking. 7.Start timing when the water returns to a boil. Most pastas cook in 8-12 minutes. Check the package directions! 8.You can regulate the heat so the pasta/water mixture doesn't foam up and over the pot sides. Lower it the tiniest bit, and everything should be under control. 9.Really the only way to tell if the pasta is correctly cooked is to taste it. It should be 'al dente' - firm, yet tender, with a tiny core in the middle. 10.You can also cut into a piece you've fished out of the pot. There shouldn't be any solid white in the center of the pasta - just a shading to more opaque cream. 11.Now drain the pasta into a colander placed into your kitchen sink. Lift the colander and shake off excess water. 12.Don't rinse if you're serving a hot dish. That removes the starch that helps hold the sauce. If you are making a cold salad, rinse so the salad isn't sticky. Tips: 1.By covering the pot when you bring water to a boil, you are lowering the air pressure directly over the water, making it easier to boil. 2.Never mix pasta types in one pot. 3.Watch the cooking process carefully. Pasta can overcook very quickly. 4.If the pasta is to be used in a casserole, undercook it slightly. It will finish cooking to perfection while in the oven or skillet.
2016-05-19 23:18:33 · answer #2 · answered by hallie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't worry! It's not soap, it's the pasta! This happens in the same way that milk boils over - the protein in the water traps hot air in bubbles which then expand - it's quite normal. To stop it happening leave the lid off the pot, pour a little olive oil into the water (yes, oil does calm troubled waters! - though pasta buffs will tell you this is not good for the pasta) or if you watch the pasta and it's nearly boiling over, just blow hard on it and it will subside (but maybe not so hygienic).
Hope this helps.
2007-05-10 08:32:48 · answer #3 · answered by Caroline L 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is the starch in the pasta that is making the foam...pretty normal. Once the pasta comes to a rolling boil, reduce the heat just a bit and see if it calms down.
2007-05-10 08:27:21 · answer #4 · answered by samantha 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its the starch in the pasta. The molecules unravel and form chains which allows bubbles to form and hold. There's nothing wrong with it. Dont rinse pasta
2007-05-10 08:26:05 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
It is the starch in the pasta.
Don't cover the pot while cooking the pasta.
2007-05-10 08:28:08 · answer #6 · answered by ~~∞§arah T∞©~~ 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mine does that too. It usually helps to put a little olive oil in the water.
2007-05-10 08:27:33 · answer #7 · answered by dani77356 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its the starch in the pasta no worries.
2007-05-10 08:30:15 · answer #8 · answered by Bob 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it's safe, it just happens when it is boiling. either blow on it and stir or turn down the heat otherwise it will overboil.
2007-05-10 08:30:08 · answer #9 · answered by bernel1403 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋