in the water when boiling pasta? That is, when the water comes to a boil, just before I put the pasta in?
OK, I know why I
do it - it's because my mother does it
, and she taught me how to cook.
But I don't know why she
taught me to do it, or why the first person in our family to do it, started
doing it. It makes no sense to me, and Google is not being an informative friend in this matter, thanks to the millions of results for pasta dishes that include the ingredient AFTER the boiling is done.
I have a very limited understanding of the mechanics behind boiling pasta in general, actually - I'm guessing we boil the water so the pasta will get thoroughly wet before it gets mushy. I think some people put salt in the water; for what it's worth, Worcestershire sauce is salty and it turns out the recipe includes actual salt
So, MeFites, in your tremendous collective wisdom: why do I add $.10 of this product to the pot every time I boil pasta, other than habit?
If any of you do it, too, I sure would feel better about my family's tradition, BTW.
My mother also taught me to put olive oil in the water. When omitting it I find the pasta is way too sticky, so I don't really need an explanation for that.