Book 1, Question 145 · Video
Why Does Pasta Get Soft? Starch Swells in Hot Water!
Dry pasta is packed starch, which is why it is firm, stiff and stays straight. Hot water soaks in, the starch swells and the noodle turns tender, flexible and soft. The page says e
Read the full answer →What Crafty Clover says in this video
Intro
Hi! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. Why does pasta get soft?
The Big Idea
Dry spaghetti is so stiff it snaps! But after a few minutes in hot water, it's soft and wiggly. The secret is starch, and a whole lot of water soaking in. Let's see how it works.
Packed Starch
Step one: dry pasta is packed starch. Pasta is made from flour and water, then dried until it's hard. Inside are zillions of tiny starch grains, packed tightly together, with almost no water left.
Water Soaks In
Step two: hot water soaks in. In a pot of boiling water, the water seeps into the pasta, starting at the outside, and working its way to the middle. Hot water soaks in much faster than cold water.
Starch Swells
Step three: starch swells, and the noodle turns tender. The starch grains soak up water, and swell up like tiny sponges, so they get soft and squishy. Pasta's protein, called gluten, holds it all together, so the noodle bends, but doesn't fall apart.
A Closer Look
Let's compare them! A dry noodle is firm, stiff, and stays straight. A cooked noodle is flexible, soft, and bends easily. And it's bigger too, because it's full of water!
Quick Facts
Quick facts! Extra minutes turn tender into mush! Too much water makes the starch fall apart. Pasta that's soft, but still a bit firm to bite, is called al dente. Say it: al DEN-tay! Cooked pasta weighs about twice as much as dry pasta, because of all that water! The cloudy pasta water is full of starch.
Think Like a Scientist
Now, think like a scientist! With a grown-up, cook some pasta. Have your grown-up scoop out one noodle at five minutes, and another at twelve minutes. Let them cool. Take a bite of each. How are they different?
Outro
So pasta gets soft because hot water soaks in, and the starch swells up and turns the noodle tender! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!