Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
How strong as a thickener for sauce is pasta water?
Is it as strong as cornstarch slurry? What about roux? Where does pasta water lie on the scale of thickeners compared to constarch slurry and roux?
Does the pasta water become starchy even before the pasta becomes al dente? Is the strength of thickening power reliant on how al dente the pasta has become? In other words does it depend on how long pasta has cooked?
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,555 posts, read 81,131,933 times
Reputation: 57755
If cornstarch is 8 and a roux is 7, potato water is a 1. If you want a 10 or more then buy some xanthan Gum powder. I use just a tiny pinch in a cup of homemade salad dressing to thicken it so it adheres better to the greens. For gravy it would be about 1/2 teaspoon to 3 cups liquid.
If cornstarch is 8 and a roux is 7, potato water is a 1. If you want a 10 or more then buy some xanthan Gum powder. I use just a tiny pinch in a cup of homemade salad dressing to thicken it so it adheres better to the greens. For gravy it would be about 1/2 teaspoon to 3 cups liquid.
I think they meant to say pasta water, not potato water. Cornstarch and roux both form lumpy, gloppy, unappetizing solid messes if not properly stirred into a sauce. Pasta water doesn't, at best it might become somewhat gelatinous if left to sit for a length of time.
You can boil it off on low heat uncovered. You can also add a tablespoon of cornstarch on a 1:1 basis. This may need to be repeated but I don't know how thick/thin you want the sauce.
How strong as a thickener for sauce is pasta water?
Is it as strong as cornstarch slurry? What about roux? Where does pasta water lie on the scale of thickeners compared to constarch slurry and roux?
Does the pasta water become starchy even before the pasta becomes al dente? Is the strength of thickening power reliant on how al dente the pasta has become? In other words does it depend on how long pasta has cooked?
Pasta water isn't used so much for actual thickening of sauces per se, but for either adding a bit of body and/or thinning out a sauce that's a bit thicker than you'd like (generally a pan sauce rather than a "slow and low" type sauce).
In short, the starch in pasta water when used in a sauce aids the sauce in sticking to the pasta in the finished dish rather than making the finished product substantially thicker as a a roux or slurry would.
If you want an idea of where pasta water lies on a scale of thickeners, it's on the lower end of the scale--especially if the pasta that was cooked in the water was taken to al dente rather than woefully overcooked.
How do you thicken a pasta sauce then? Do you just add cornstarch slurry, or roux?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
