Joe Bastianich Says This Is The Biggest Seafood Pasta Mistake To Avoid - Tasting Table

"One way to ensure there's enough starch in your pasta sauce is to reserve and use pasta cooking water. The starch in this water comes from the cooked pasta and will help bind the sauce you're making, which in turn will help the sauce cling beautifully to the pasta, versus running off. Using pasta cooking water to make sauces is the key to making at least 12 cream-based sauces, all ones you should know about, according to another chef."

"For example, check your pantry to see if you have semolina flour, which you can add to the pasta cooking water to help thicken it. A dash of semolina flour is the secret to luxuriously creamy pasta. Or, try adding grated Parmesan cheese to the seafood pasta dish as it's cooking to help thicken and emulsify the sauce, as cheese has cream and fats."

Seafood pasta requires a properly emulsified sauce with sufficient starch to bind ingredients and prevent a watery, soupy finish. Reserving pasta cooking water adds starch that helps the sauce cling to pasta and creates a richer texture. Semolina flour added to cooking water can thicken the sauce and produce a luxurious creaminess. Grated Parmesan contributes fats and creaminess that help thicken and emulsify the sauce. Adding a splash of heavy cream or cold butter also enriches and stabilizes emulsions. Achieving balance between liquid and starch is essential to avoid runny seafood pasta.

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