My Sicilian dad taught me what he knew about cooking, which he learned from his Sicilian parents. That said, they both did things that I’ve since learned do not work the way they thought. That said, they never oiled pasta water. Second, when the pasta was done, they’d ladle a spoonful or two of sauce onto the pasta. This would prevent sticking and flavor the pasta (which was still cooking via carryover heat). Generally, they made sauce for several meals at one time, so they wouldn’t throw the pasta in with the sauce, and instead let people sauce at the table. My grandmother’s sauces would include anything she could get her hands on, mostly an effect of being dirt poor immigrants during the depression. It was before my time, but I understand that some of the combinations were only edible because one didn’t always know when one was going to east next.
Oiling pasta water is useless. It’s not like buttering toast because the oil and water don’t mix. The pasta cooks in the water and the only time it may see any oil is when it is poured out. MAY. And while some may say oiling pasta before saucing prevents the sauce from sticking, it is just an imprecise use of language. It prevents the pasta from absorbing sauce. It doesn’t make sauce magically fly of the noodle as you eat. The sauce simply doesn’t work its way inside the noodle.
So, are you trying to imply that my Swedish/French Mom knows less about making pasta than your Sicilian Dad? Any culture that can make rotten fish taste… well, slightly less rotten has to know something about food preparation.
I’m still not convinced that adding oil actually hurts it… but I’ll admit it may not help it so I’ll try it without oil next time and see if anyone notices any difference. So far though I’ve gotten nothing but raves about my pasta (I’ve fed an entire D1 NCAA soccer team with no complaints and no leftovers.)
College kids think Kraft Mac & Cheese and Hot Pockets are good. Oiling the water doesn’t hurt. It doesn’t help either, except for greatly lowering the chance for boil-overs.
And the French, IMNSHO, know more about food preparation than any other culture. The Swedes… eh. At least they’re not Sardinian, trying to make us believe maggoty cheese is edible.
Unfortunately, my mom was way more Swedish than French… and raised in the Mid West. I do have her recipe for a killer Orange Jello Ring with Shredded Carrots and Pineapple though.
That’s the main reason for the oil, as far as I’ve always known. It doesn’t stick to the pasta or anything, but helps prevent boilovers. I don’t bother, as it’s never been much of a concern of mine, having a big enough pot, but these days I do my pasta starting from cold water. Uses less water, you have starchier water left over (which a couple teaspoons of helps to thicken and smoothen the sauce), and uses less energy. It’s definitely not the traditional way, but after being exposed to this method, I’m a convert.