Can I use vegetable oil instead of olive oil

[K.C. Leblanc]

That does need to be a good olive oil though.

Or butter, mon mon mon.

I've always added oil, while boiling pasta. The italians say you shouldn't but they also say you should use 1 litre of water per 100g of pasta. So cooking a packet of spag, would require a gallon of water and a big pot. I'd actualy die os starvation waiting for that to come up to the boil on my cooker.

 

[z0mbi3]

I always thought actually boiling it is better than a simmer

Here's another thing to argue about; who puts the lid on the pan? In my opinion, covering the pan seems to add to the starchy/stickiness somehow, maybe because of the steam being caught in there? Same goes for boiling potatoes. They come out far less starchy if you dont cover them.

I've taken to leaving the lid on to get it to the boil but leave it off to simmer. Seems harder to stop it from boiling over otherwise.

 

[lakitu]

you can add a drop to the water to reduce sticking, although I find with dried past you barely need it. mainly fresh and spaghetti. Regular stirring will do the job most of the time.

 

[Iraklis F.C.]

i add some olive oil after draining the pasta .

 

[oli collett]

I always thought actually boiling it is better than a simmer

Here's another thing to argue about; who puts the lid on the pan? In my opinion, covering the pan seems to add to the starchy/stickiness somehow, maybe because of the steam being caught in there? Same goes for boiling potatoes. They come out far less starchy if you dont cover them.

I cannot see how leaving the lid on the pan would make any difference to anything other than your energy bills. In fact if you don't cover them, wouldn't that mean you end up with a lower volume of cooking water, therefore the end product should in fact be more starchy?

Or butter, mon mon mon.

I've always added oil, while boiling pasta. The italians say you shouldn't but they also say you should use 1 litre of water per 100g of pasta. So cooking a packet of spag, would require a gallon of water and a big pot. I'd actualy die os starvation waiting for that to come up to the boil on my cooker.

If you don't use a large enough volume of water, you will just end up with a starchy, soggy mess of pasta at the end which will have an inferior taste and texture. You can always use two pots as well rather than 1 big one.

For those that are saying the oil prevents sticking - that's why you add oil after you've drained the pasta!

 

[wannabedamned]

I cannot see how leaving the lid on the pan would make any difference to anything other than your energy bills. In fact if you don't cover them, wouldn't that mean you end up with a lower volume of cooking water, therefore the end product should in fact be more starchy?

I definately find that with the lid on my pasta cooks faster at a simmer.

 

[camels5]

You're supposed to add it afterwards to stop it sticking, not during cooking.

It is not often i quote my son on cooking but he is right, why add it during in cooking, oil and water don't mix, the oil floats on top doing nothing! add it afterwards.