Italians in particular pride themselves on their cooking. One of the most well-known dishes is spaghetti.

The most accepted manner to cook spaghetti is to start with a deep pot, put in cold water and wait for it to boil. Some people advise adding salt to the water to make it boil faster. This tip is given for spaghetti and for pasta in general.

Once the water is boiling, then it is time to add the spaghetti noodles. Place in the water, stir to separate (most at this point say use a fork to ensure you can separate them entirely) and make sure the entire length of the pasta is submerged. Then, it’s time to wait for the pasta to cook, stirring regularly to avoid it sticking to the pan or the rest of the pasta in a big clump.

Sounds familiar right? Well, apparently we have all been doing it wrong for years. Instead of the involved process described above, there is a method that not only makes it quicker but also provides a great liquid to use for sauces or other cooking.

First, use a frying pan. I know, that seems entirely too strange. However, using a frying pan can be effective. Next, add the spaghetti noodles. No, you do not add the water first.

Third, pour a quart of water over the noodles. This needs to be cold water. That is another big difference from the widely known manner of spaghetti cooking. Also, only use a quart and a half of water. That is significantly less than typically used to cook spaghetti.

The cold water prevents the spaghetti from sticking to each other. The lesser amount of water is due to the use of a frying pan rather than a deep pot.

The pasta cooks efficiently, and the water becomes stock that can be used for other cooking. This is a benefit compared to the massive amounts of water used that is then drained off the pasta and down the drain. It also saves a considerable amount of energy.

Sources:
http://goodmorningcenter.com/unbelievably-we-boil-spaghetti-in-a-wrong-way-our-entire-life/
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/pasta-how-to-avoid-common-cooking-mistakes/
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/youre-doing-it-wrong-the-guide-to-making-perfect-pasta-946855/?no-ist