Cooking Pasta In Milk Has Benefits, But Avoid One Big Mistake
A splash of pasta water is a crucial ingredient in most pasta dishes. The starch that washes into the water from raw pasta helps emulsify and thicken the sauce. Boiling pasta in milk similarly infuses the milk with starch, which can be used to build a luxuriously thick sauce. This method also saves you the trouble of making a flour-butter-milk roux when making creamy sauces. There are other liquids you can cook pasta in to infuse it with flavor, making a good starting point for pasta sauces.
When making a bowl of gooey mac and cheese or a quick one-pot pasta, boiling the raw noodles in milk is a game-changer. However, there are a few things to watch out for. Unlike salted water, milk can scald and burn at high temperatures. Since it forms the base of the pasta sauce, if the milk gets heated past a certain point while being used to boil pasta, it can tinge your dish with a bitter flavor. Having to cook at a lower heat means it takes longer for the pasta to cook, which can sometimes increase the risk of the milk burning. However, if you don't mind the additional cooking time and having to stir the pasta as it boils, cooking it in milk rewards you with a creamy sauce base that builds a decadent dish.
Boil pasta in milk at lower temperatures so the milk doesn't burn
Milk scalds at about 180 degrees Fahrenheit (about 82 degrees Centigrade), which is lower than the boiling point of water. Therefore, when using milk to cook pasta, you're essentially simmering or cooking at a low boil instead of on the rolling boil that pasta water is generally at. Frequent stirring is also crucial when using milk since burnt bits of milk fat can stick to the bottom of the pot and infuse a bitter burnt flavor into the milk, which will invariably seep into the final pasta dish. Since it takes longer for the pasta to get to the desired softness, you may have to stand by the pot for more time than you usually would. It's also a good idea to check the pasta's doneness frequently to ensure it doesn't overcook.
Because it adds creaminess and hydration, milk is also great for reheating pasta that may have dried up in the fridge. A few tablespoons mixed in before reheating returns a creamy pasta from the day before to its former gooey glory. Since the milk isn't heated to a high enough temperature, there is also a minimal risk of it burning when reheating. To elevate your dish further, easily incorporate canned foods that go well with pasta, or refer to the easy umami-boosting trifecta.