Nobel Prize-Winning Scientist Lifts Lid on How to Cook Pasta & Save Money
Pasta
From turning the heating down and improving insulation, to opting for shorter showers and fully loading up washing machines, Europeans have been facing a plethora of cost-saving advice amid the continent’s largely self-inflicted energy crisis. However, advice on how to save money while cooking pasta ruffled the apron-strings of some Italian chefs.Cooking ought to be left to the chefs, while physicists potter about in their labs: this was the gist of the response from Italian professional cooks after a quantum theorist advised them on cost-saving while preparing pasta.Amid the current largely self-inflicted energy crisis gripping Europe, the debate on how to slash expenses is all the rage. Accordingly, Italian Professor Giorgio Parisi, who notably won the 2021 Nobel prize in physics for “the discovery of the interplay of disorder and fluctuations in physical systems from atomic to planetary scales” waded into the fray.Parisi suggested that there was no need to keep the water boiling for the duration of the pasta cooking time, and advised turning off the heat midway.After pasta was added to a pan of boiling water, one could wait two minutes, then place the lid on, and either lower the heat or switch off the gas completely, said the 74-year-old scientist of Sapienza University in Rome. According to him, the residual heat in the water would wrap up the cooking process without ultimately affecting the taste of the pasta. He even shared a video of the process on social media, adding that “at least eight minutes of energy consumption” is saved this way.However, many Italian chefs were incensed, warning in a spate of interviews and on social media that they would not serve the “rubbery” pasta that the so-called “passive cooking” method resulted in at their restaurants.
Energy Crisis in EuropeHead of German State Restricts Hot Water in the Shower Time to Two Minutes Amid Energy Crisis12 December 2022, 18:16 GMTIndeed, the typical cooking instructions we read on a pack of dry spaghetti tell us to indulge in both, large amounts of water and energy. 100 grams of pasta are put into 1 liter of boiling water for ten to 12 minutes, depending on the product’s thickness. But there is a more energy-efficient way to cook the iconic staple of traditional Italian cuisine.Firstly, water can be absorbed by pasta to rehydrate it any temperature. Accordingly, scientists and food bloggers have suggested soaking dry spaghetti for around two hours in room-temperature water. The next part of the process, of course, is when the pasta heats up, to allow starches to be broken down. Furthermore, the proteins in the flour also need to be denatured into digestible chains. According to scientists, protein in pasta dissolve at a temperature above 80ºC (176ºF).Reducing the amount of water is also an option, together with bringing down or switching off the heat. Approximately 60 percent of the energy while cooking pasta is used to keep the water boiling. So, the cost savings are definitely tangible, it is claimed, albeit they vary depending on whether we are talking ceramic hobs, or gas and induction cooktops.
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