Most people tend to pour water down the drain as soon as they’re done cooking their pasta, but this is a huge no-no. Pasta water is actually a magical liquid with a long list of alternative uses that probably never crossed your mind, starting with these five.
Soups and Stews
Leftover pasta water can enhance the flavor of your soups and stews. Consider using it as a base because it contains the natural stretchiness that no store-bought broth can emulate.
Thinning Sauces
Adding a splash of leftover water to your sauces will do wonders for their texture and flavor. Pasta water can help you loosen thick sauces and bind them together to create a creamy consistency.
Making Rice
Making risotto in pasta water is a brilliant hack because it will infuse the rice with amazing flavor and richness that you’d struggle to achieve with regular tap water.
Steaming Veggies
If you’re thinking of steaming vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, or cauliflower shortly after cooking pasta, consider reusing leftover water to improve their taste.
Watering Plants
Leftover pasta water also has some pretty unexpected uses outside of the kitchen. After absorbing minerals during the cooking process, pasta water can be used to fertilize plants and promote their growth.
