Quench Pasta: What Speaks For And What Speaks Against It

The myth that pasta should be chilled immediately after cooking persists. However, in many cases, this process is not only pointless but also counterproductive. You can find out here when it might be worth quenching the pasta.

Quench pasta: makes sense or not?

For many generations, there has been a rumor that pasta should be chilled after cooking. Because of this, deterrence has become firmly entrenched in many minds and is seldom questioned—a mistake.

• Quenching the pasta is counterproductive if you want to serve it right after cooking. The ice-cold water immediately makes the hot pasta lukewarm. A few more minutes pass before it lands on the plates.
• Aside from the fact that lukewarm pasta doesn’t taste that good, there’s another reason not to put off fresh pasta. During cooking, a slightly sticky layer forms on the surface of the pasta. This is the washed-out starch.
• Pasta is usually served with sauces, such as homemade tomato sauce. Due to the slightly sticky starch film, the sauces stick better to the pasta surface.
• However, there is also a case where it is worth quenching the noodles. If you don’t want to eat the pasta right away, but want to make it into a pasta salad, you should cool off the pasta first. This will prevent the noodles from losing their bite too quickly and becoming mushy.