Today in dumb lessons I didn’t know I needed, we’re taking a look at the (well-established at this point) truth about how to use a colander. TikTok has been gifting pasta fans with educational videos that show there is another, better way to strain your pasta water, and it reduces the chances of you being burnt.
Here’s the deal.
How to strain pasta water with a colander
For most people, straining pasta water looks like this: place the colander into the sink, pick the pot up off the stove and pour all the contents into said colander. You might lose a few rogue pieces of pasta, and you also have to lift the hot colander out of the sink to pour the pasta back into the pot.
According to TikTok, this is wrong.
What many people suggest doing instead is placing the colander into your pot first (granted, you need to be using a colander that is larger than your pasta pot). Pop the bottom of the colander into the pot and then carry both over to the sink and pour the water straight on out.
This technique means you keep the pasta in the pot for the entire process – no lost pieces of spaghetti here! It also means you aren’t pouring boiling water all over the colander and then navigating the hot metal afterwards.
In all honesty, after watching this video, I’m pretty convinced I’ll need to adopt this new approach to straining pasta water when cooking. Check it out for yourselves here.
Shocked? Underwhelmed? Rolling your eyes? Listen, whatever your reaction, there are thousands of people who have liked this pasta water video on TikTok by @CookingCards (and millions have watched it), so there are a fair few of us out there who find it somewhat useful.
Will you give it a shot?
If you want other ridiculously simple lessons we have gotten a kick out of, check out the right way to fill an ice tray, dice an onion and open a pasta packet next.
This article has been updated since its original publish date.
Lead image credit: iStock
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