The recipe always says to reserve some pasta water. I either forget, or I just don’t bother. The one or two times I’ve needed it, I just added regular water and it was fine.
I generally don’t bother with or care for pasta so I’m OK with that.
I always forget too. However it makes a huge difference if you’re making something like a pesto or lemon garlic pasta. Water just adds liquid but the starch in the pasta water adds thicc liquid
I just dunk a cup into the pot while the pasta is cooking if I remember to do so. That way,I have a nice cup of pasta water to toss out because I forgot to use it in the sauce.
Ha ha yeah …. I’ll remember to use it if it’s there. For me it’s more like putting the cup out next to the pot so I don’t forget it, drain the pasta, then spot the cup I was supposed to remember to use and say “shit”
Oops, I did it again. I had the cup out, in front of all the stuff while I boiled some tortellini, then just as I finished draining the pasta: “dammit”.
Aside from that: garlic, pesto and red pepper flakes simmered a bit in olive oil, throw in some red bell peppers. Stir In the pasta until it’s covered. Then throw in a bunch of spinach and shaved Parmesan, and outstanding! This is my favorite dinner …. But it would be better with pasta water
The starch in the water will help bring the sauce together and make it stick to the pasta better. Its more noticeable in a loose or wet sauce, esp. if you want to avoid it turning into soup. “Simple” sauces like Carbonara or Cacio e Pepe arent the same otherwise.
If you keep forgetting to do it, try leaving a measuring cup inside your colander, when you go to pour your cooked pasta in, it should remind you that you need to skim some water out first.
