Wooden spoon, ice cubes, oil If the pasta water keeps boiling over, these 5 tips will help

Vanessa Büchel

29.9.2024

When cooking pasta, it is not uncommon for the water to boil over. This leaves burnt-on stains on the stove.
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If you don't pay attention for a moment, the pasta water overflows. An annoying mishap that leaves burnt-on stains on the hob. With these tips, the boiling water stays in the pot.

29.09.2024, 12:16

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When cooking pasta, it is not uncommon for the boiling water to form a foam and overflow.
This results in burnt-on stains on the hob and an unpleasant smell.
These five tips will help you avoid boiling over.

Whether spaghetti, penne or fusilli - the choice of pasta varieties is huge. No wonder pasta is a favorite food in Swiss households. They are easy to prepare and can be combined in a variety of ways. With spicy arrabiata, traditional pesto or a classic carbonara sauce, it simply always tastes good.

But if you're not careful when cooking pasta, it can easily happen: The water bubbles, foams - and overflows. It hisses and burnt marks appear on the hob. The faux pas is accompanied by an unpleasant smell.

If you want to prevent the boiling water from boiling over when cooking pasta, the following five tips will help.

Tip 1: Stir, blow in, reduce the heat

The simplest trick is to stir the water regularly to prevent foam from forming in the first place. However , this trick is not suitable for anyone who doesn't want to stand next to the hob all the time but wants to use the time to set the table.

Blowing into the foaming water can also help for a short time. This will reduce the foam, but new bubbles will quickly form and rise again.

Why does pasta water overflow in the first place?

Pure water or water with salt does not overflow.
Only when it comes into contact with starch does this make the water vapor bubbles more stable, they no longer burst so quickly and a foam is formed that boils over.
Starch can dissolve when cooking pasta, potatoes, rice or other foods.
Another reason for boiling water overflowing: if you add food to the pan, the water level automatically rises.

The simplest trick is still to simply reduce the heat again after boiling. While potatoes, vegetables, pulses or rice can be boiled with the water, pasta is only added to the already boiling water. This is why it overflows more quickly. A pot that is as high as possible can also be a good precaution.

2nd tip: Wooden spoon

The most common trick among kitchen professionals is to place a wooden spoon across the open pot. It is important that the spoon is not made of metal or plastic, but of wood.

As if by magic, the foam then rises up to the spoon, but no further. This is because the bubbles burst on the spoon and are thus held back.

3rd tip: ice cubes

An ice cube placed in the bubbling water also provides short-term help. The liquid immediately shrinks back. The cold automatically lowers the temperature in the saucepan and ensures that the boiling process is paused.

This prevents the water from boiling over, but only temporarily, until the water returns to the right temperature. Then the game starts all over again.

4th tip: butter or oil

Fat also prevents the bubbles in the water from solidifying well, which helps in the fight against boiling over. Simply add a little butter or oil to the water to prevent the dreaded mishap.

But beware, this tip is not for pasta lovers: if pasta is cooked in fat, it will not absorb the sauce as well afterwards. It is therefore better to use this trick only when other foods are going into the pot.

5th tip: Use overcooking protection

There are also special devices available online from various suppliers that are designed to prevent pasta water from overflowing. The so-called "boil-over protection" promises to hold back the foam.