As regular disputes about the proper toppings for pizza or the perfect pasta to pair with a Bolognese ragu would attest, Italians are notoriously and understandably possessive of their food.
So it is hardly surprising that when a Nobel Prize-winning Italian physicist chimed in with tips on preparing great pasta, it seemed to upend everything the nations' cooks had been doing in the kitchen for generations.
Cooking Pasta Without Using Gas
2021 Nobel Prize-winning physicist and quantum theorist Giorgio Parisi, 74, has advised Italians on how to cook their pasta while also saving gas by turning it off when cooking, prompting disbelief and fury from chefs. He advised Italians to put the pasta in a pan of boiling water, bring it to a boil, wait two minutes, cover it with a lid, and turn off the heat.
The scientist from Sapienza University in Rome said in his video that at least eight minutes of energy consumption is saved with this method, The Independent reports. He noted that the most important thing in the process is keeping the lid on so that much heat is lost through evaporation.
Parisi added that he would put the gas on minimum after boiling the pasta so it boils very little without consumption. He also suggested trying it off when the water has boiled, consuming less gas, and cooking the pasta evenly.
What Do Chefs Say?
Parisi's suggestions were not met with positive feedback, especially from his fellow Italians. Leading chefs have disagreed with his methods, especially Antonello Colonna, who said that pasta cooked on Parisi's way could turn rubbery.
He told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica of his experience when his parents' gas cylinder went out, like when the spaghetti was cooking. The resulting pasta's consistency was, as expected, compromised.
Other experts, like chef Luigi Pomata, said that the physicist's method would be a disaster. Perhaps it would be better to leave the cooking to chefs and physicists to do their experiments in their labs.
Despite this feedback, Italian Pastai of Unione Italiana Food calculated that those who followed the controversial strategy might save up to 47% of the energy they regularly consumed.
The announcement comes only days after Gazprom, Russia's state-owned natural gas provider, announced that its Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which delivers gas to much of Europe, will be stopped permanently.
The Science of Cooking Pasta
Two processes take place when cooking pasta, Science Alert reported. First, water permeates the pasta, rehydrating and softening it in ten minutes in boiling water. Second, when the pasta warms, the proteins expand and become edible.
Depending on the pasta's thickness, the conventional method involves immersing 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of pasta in 1 liter (approximately a quart) of boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes.
Parisi's method of turning off the gas midway will allow the pasta to cook in the residual heat and save up to 50% of the cooking cost. But separating the rehydration and heating processes will further reduce the cost. The dried pasta may be thoroughly rehydrated by soaking it in cold water for two hours, a completely energy-free method that saves additional costs.
The pasta must next be placed in boiling water to cook through, and additional savings will also be gained here. Chefs, bloggers, and scientists say that considerably lowering the amount of water has little effect on the quality of cooked pasta.
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