Alton Brown Has An Atypical Method For Boiling Pasta

When it comes to cooking, it seems like there are certain tried-and-true methods that don't require us to reinvent the wheel. But just when you think there couldn't possibly be any more useful tips for cooking spaghetti, somebody comes up with a new one. Such is the case with Alton Brown. The celebrity chef, known for his shows "Good Eats" and "Iron Chef America," shares a surprisingly easy way to boil pasta that uses far less water than the traditional method many of us employ today. The secret lies in using cold water.

When it comes to common pasta mistakes, apparently using hot water to boil your pasta could now be one of them. You're probably familiar with letting the water come to a boil, adding the pasta, and setting a kitchen timer based on the box instructions. But there are actually a few other steps you can take to make sure the pasta is cooked well. Brown's suggestion might even save you some water: Fill the pot with only enough water to cover the pasta, then let the pasta cook as the water heats.

With Alton Brown's cold water pasta-cooking method, you can count on using a lot less water. Start with the amount of dry noodles you plan to use, then add them to a pot. Cover them entirely with cold water so that there is about an inch of water above the pasta, then start the heat. As the water heats up, the pasta will cook — and once it's boiling, you can reduce the heat to let the pasta simmer for another couple of minutes. You can either strain the pasta in a colander or reserve some pasta water by removing the noodles with a slotted spoon, leaving the cooking water behind.

You don't need too big of a pot for this, either. Making sure to add the right amount of salt for your pasta water, cook the pasta to al dente if you're looking for that traditional Italian texture. If you plan to bake the pasta in the oven once it's cooked, remove it from the water as it reaches al dente since it will continue to cook in the oven.