Cook Pro Level Pasta At Home | It's Easier Than You Think

The problem with trying to create a restaurant level pasta dish at home is achieving the silky-smooth, delicious sauce that lightly clings to the pasta. This is because professional pasta chefs have a secrete ingredient most home cooks don't have access to ...
... STARCHY PASTA WATER!
When batch after batch of pasta is cooked in the same water, it becomes infused with dissolved starch molecules. This helps to form a light glaze that clings to the pasta and can be flavored with any ingredients you can imagine.
In most restaurant, the lighter style pasta dishes and sauces are created in the pan, a la minute. When the pasta is dropped in the water, the chef will start a saute pan, cooking vegetables and aromatics of choice. The chef will then deglaze with liquid (commonly wine), place pasta in the pan with a little bit of the cooking water, and finish with fresh herbs and fat (commonly butter or olive oil).
Using this method, a simple process based approach can be formed to create almost any pasta dish you want.
1. Drop pasta in water.
2. Saute complimentary ingredients.
3. Deglaze with liquid of choice (usually wine). Reduce au sec.
4. Add stock (optional). Reduce to concentrate flavors.
5. Add pasta with a little bit of starchy pasta water.
6. Reduce pasta water until pasta is glazed.
7. Finish with fresh herbs and fat of choice.
8. Check for seasoning and adjust to taste with salt, acid, and pepper.
HOWEVER, since you commonly don't have access for starchy pasta water at home, you need to change your approach and rethink your pasta cooking process.
In this video, we solve this problem by cooking our pasta "a la risotto," using just enough liquid to cover the pasta, adding small amounts of liquid throughout the cooking process, resulting in perfectly cooked pasta with a beautiful, versatile sauce.
USED IN THIS VIDEO
PASTA USED (affiliate link) - amzn.to/2RJeiYl
SUPPLEMENTAL VIDEO TECHNIQUES RELATED TO THIS VIDEO CAN BE FOUND ON THE STELLA CULINARY SHOW NOTES PAGE HERE: stellaculinary...

[@JacobBurton]

If you're looking for the pasta I used in this video, you can order it from Amazon (affiliate link): amzn.to/2RJeiYl. Related video techniques mentioned in this video are linked in the Stella Culinary show notes page here: stellaculinary.com/cooking-videos/cooking-techniques/professional-pasta-at-home-using-the-risotto-method. Thanks for watching!

[@ninainthekitchen1455]

Just an FYI: The correct pronunciation of the pasta brand is ... de- CHECK- o 😉. Another great video Chef!

[@momentoHermano]

Great video, it's a shame you're getting less views now even with the improved production. good luck with the youtube algorithm.

[@JacobBurton]

Thanks Chris. Glad you're enjoying the videos and the improved production. Tell your family and friends! Thanks for watching.

[@Mojo4927]

Love your videos, Chef. Everything you post is top notch. I just want you to know how much I appreciate all the help you've provided me on my culinary journey.

[@JacobBurton]

Awesome. Thanks so much for the kind words!

[@amandasupak]

I'm a home cook with no professional training, but I'm excited to try this :)

[@DrBlackbelt2nddan]

You continue to be the most awesome teacher of culinary skills on the planet.

[@tatertot7320]

I've been cooking for about 9 years in a restaurant, I never went to school but I truly love cooking and I very much appreciate your videos I love learning!! I've gotten to the point where I know how to cook and work a line very well now i have to kind of teach myself the rest which works by trial and error but your content is very well put together and straight forward Thank you

[@JacobBurton]

Thanks Tim. It's always nice to hear from people in the industry who find the videos helpful. All the best!

[@zteelchainz]

Gotta say this dish really change my entire cooking life. Been watching and learning from you for a few years now and any and everything I want to do or try is up here and perfectly taught. Cheers brotha

[@mdk113]

Chef, I watch a ton of cooking channels on KZbin and yours is one of the best. Your professional culinary background really stands out (compared to a lot of other channels that feature home/amateur chefs) and your presentation is so succinct and informative. Love the insight about the difference in execution between a restaurant and home kitchen. Echoing another commenter, I really hope the KZbin algorithm pushes you up to the top. Btw, just bought the F-Step curriculum. Looking forward to sinking my teeth into it (no pun intended)

[@JacobBurton]

Hey Rushi, thanks so much for supporting the channel by purchasing the F-STEP Curriculum. Let me know if you have any questions as you work your way through the Curriculum! I figure if I keep pushing out educational content that continues to help people up their cooking game, my channel can only be ignored for so long (well ... hopefully). BUT, the good news is, I have a great job as a chef that I love, and I really enjoy making videos for the audience I already have, so any extra success that comes my way in the future would only be icing on the cake. Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment!

[@loriwilliams8302]

I just discovered your videos and I can't wait to watch them all! I've never seen instructional cooking videos provide such in-depth explanations and answer my science questions about food cooking. And I love how you mention modifications to make the dishes vegan. Thank you so much for what you're doing!

[@stephensano9156]

Beautiful recipe and terrific technique! I cannot wait to try making this dish using pasta water.

[@Fieshs]

just found your culinary school videos and now I think i'll try these pasta techniques!

[@Miata822]

I made this. It was wonderful. Served it with homemade Italian sausage.

[@petesusi]

Another good video, Chef - it really reinforces how once you get comfortable with the simple technique, you will literally have an infinite number of flavor and component combinations at your disposal. I actually have been doing this for quite sometime - I didn’t start adding some lemon or lime juice at the end until I started watching your videos though, lol.

[@JacobBurton]

Thanks Peter. Acid is soooo important! Glad you're enjoying the videos.

[@acseattle1975]

I think your content is a gold mine! What I think may attract more viewers would be a more modern thumbnail and consistent opening

[@medilink12]

Just fantastic. Results are superb.

[@strikenryken]

Just made this it’s fairly easy and really tasty, thanks for the technique!

[@keeganchung]

Really cool technique, thanks chef!

[@harukaa.2368]

Hi, Jacob! Thank you so much for the very informative and simple instruction video! Although i'm just a home cook at lower level, I could make a yummy pasta! BTW, I'm Haruka from Japan, hope you remember, homestayed about more than 20 some years ago! Impressed to see you are so successful professional chef!

[@JinhC]

Thank you chef, excellent video to share to teach people how to use starchy pasta water.

[@sharrodglover6158]

Thanks for this chef. I wish they would have used this method more in culinary school. It looks like it makes the dish creamier. I think I will use this for all small pasta dishes I do. Thumbs up.

[@richardjordan8054]

Subbed! Thanks for the Culinary School vids! Your shared information blessed me indeed! I started my journey in cooking last year and LOVE it!! I'm not officially a culinary student but with the advent of youtube(insofar as its' good true and beautiful) I technically am hehe!! God Bless you and may you receive more subs!

[@Whatisthis154]

So beautiful. Absolutely top notch. Thanks so much for teaching and sharing. I have to say you are amazing.

[@tttarms1970]

Another educational technique I can't wait to try....thanks chef

[@JacobBurton]

Glad you enjoyed it. Let me know how it turns out when you make it.

[@pillow4casestudies]

Nice one. Will definitely try.

[@crdeyalsingh]

Thank you chef. Another tool in the toolbox that I hadn’t ever considered. Thank you a million times!

[@JacobBurton]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching!

[@samchartrand8226]

Excellent video. Very informative as usual. Thanks Jacob

[@GizaDog]

Would love to see more video like this. Thanks!

[@lawrencekellie]

This is an interesting technique. For years. at this time of year, my ex-wife's family would have Verinikas--kind of a Scandinavian Ravioli, Perogi, etc. I have found a casserole version of it--saves making the dough (pasta, rolling it out, putting in seasoned cottage cheese, seal dough, boil, serve with sour cream on the side.) So, I tried your technique. While onions are not normally in Verinikas, I sauted some onions, put in some wide egg noodles, covered with just enough waterr, reduced it to about half water volume. In a separate bowl, I had mixed cottage cheese, couple of eggs, and salt/pepper. I add a spoonful on that mixture to the noodles and 1/4c butter, and reduced it down some more, until the egg noodles were cooked to how I like them. I then added the rest of the cottage cheese mixture, and cooked it a little longer. At this time, it looked like a saucy pasta and cheese dish. I plopped on dollops of sour cream, put in 350F oven, and bake it for 45 or so minutes--so it sets up a bit and reduce some more. The pasta did have different look to it, shiny-iish. It is now in the oven, I eagerly await the results. Lawrence

[@garyskinner2422]

Tried this Jacob came out like angels dancing on my tongue absolutely superb, ty so much

[@JacobBurton]

Awesome! Thanks for the report. Glad you enjoyed this technique. Did you keep everything the same, or did you switch up the flavor structure a bit?

[@garyskinner2422]

@@JacobBurton no just copied exactly Jacob I wanted to taste what you done I'll experiment from next time ty Jacob for replying

[@gnavodar]

Great recipe, your techniques are perfection!

[@soundmoneynationguy1460]

Must try chef mahalos...

[@KieranGarland]

Awesome. Making my life more delicious, cheers.

[@Leviathan-bh2my]

Love it, I dont think I have seen a channel use the new style. Love the different thing you got going on

[@JacobBurton]

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@eveyaogo4370]

THANK YOU for this video 😊 very helpful

[@wowurtoogood6216]

Great Video! Super high quality! Working my way through the SCS podcasts and loving it! Doin Gods work Chef!

[@JacobBurton]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the video and are listening to the podcast. All the best!

[@LissaDIY]

That's it, making this today😍

[@brandona2023]

Great video thank you

[@skflyfish]

Glad you are back, just like the old Jacob, excellent snark without the aggravation from trolls. ;-) Your video production are even better and the added quality is appreciated. Thx for this tip. I will try this over the holidays. And I too love Nueske's bacon. I am surprised it made it to the west coast. :)

[@JacobBurton]

I recognize the name. Glad to see you back commenting on the channel. And YES, love me some Nueke's. I was first introduced to it in San Francisco around 15 years ago. It was the go to bacon slab in high end restaurants.

[@haroldhenderson2824]

Another quick source of hot, starchy (but flavorless) water would be to cook Raman noodles (or pre-cooked rice) in the microwave with 2+ cups of water. Saving the water from cooking dry (packaged) pasta for a week is good too! Who doesn't eat pasta at least once a week? Ideally, keeping quart jars (Kerr or Mason) of pre-made stock IS best.

[@macgyverrda]

Great video. I've always loved your channel and so happy you are back posting more regularly again. Thanks for your efforts.

[@JacobBurton]

Thank you. I'll be releasing one video a week in 2020 so stay tuned!

[@AnticipatedHedgehog]

Very clever technique. Love the edits and production quality!

[@JacobBurton]

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@digitalbread4574]

Great technique chef,

[@JacobBurton]

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@KittensLeftFoot]

Amazing high quality video. For an aspring homecook chef that looked easy enough to make but there are surprisingaly lots of information to learn from this video.

[@JacobBurton]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@andreserra7635]

That’s great!

[@pandapaul]

6:53 "pastabilities" -- Whether intentional or unintentional, that's a great word.

[@Donbrouwer]

Once again amazing. Are you still cooking at Stella California, lord Burton?

[@JacobBurton]

Erik Brouwer haha. No. I’m at the Renaissance Hotel in Reno.

[@551Newf]

❤❤❤ On my list of things to do!

[@pmayh3m]

Awesome video! Is that a carbon steel pan? If so do you notice a difference in taste when using acidic foods or wines?

[@gordon6029]

Thanks Jacob

[@imprimisxo]

Jacob - great video. Looks like you created your own sauce. Can this technique be used to add to a tomato sauce? What would you change to do that?

[@jd5787]

It's been a while since I watched your channel. Playing catch up now! Great stuff as usual! 👍😁

[@JacobBurton]

Great to have you back on the channel! I remember the username from "back-in-the-day." I've put out some videos I'm pretty proud of lately, so I hope you enjoy them. Besides the two turkey videos I did for Thanksgiving, I really like the Pan Roasted Chicken Thigh Video, and the "Potatoes a la Burton" video. And if you want to take a deep dive into sourdough recipe development, I did a 30 minute video of me creating and testing our new sourdough waffle for the restaurant. All the best.

[@jd5787]

@@JacobBurton happy new year Chef. Looking forward seeing more of your videos! Thanks for sharing the knowledge

[@Javaman92]

As a full time RVer, using less water is always a good thing. I'm figuring that this technique will work with any dry pasta, right.

[@sugarapple5465]

My favorite chef 👌🏻👌🏻

[@JacobBurton]

Thank you!

[@rxlo1062]

Delicious 😋

[@chefbowls]

Great video 🙏🏼

[@JacobBurton]

Thank you 🙌

[@jacobrezin9143]

Actually an amazing technique! Made my carbonara better and reduced cooking to one pan. Better and faster!

[@android61242]

Im gonna make this tonight this looks incredible. Thanks m8

[@JacobBurton]

Let me know how it turns out Bob. I think you'll really like the result.

[@android61242]

@@JacobBurton That was the best pasta I have ever made; My girlfriend and i loved it! Thank you so much for explaining this technique so well.

[@JacobBurton]

@@android61242 Thanks for the feedback. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@MzLin08]

I'm curious on how this technique would work if I'm doing pasta dishes with a homemade alfredo sauce. Would i have to add the cream like 2 mins before the pasta becomes al dente or should I put just enough cream and broth to coat the pasta and do this technique?

[@bbd9719]

Is this step still necessary or could it be overkill if I'm using a homemade stock and that's very gelatinous and thick already?

[@dougsensei]

What's that pan your using? Is it stainless ginger black or cast iron gone silver?

[@Aiki0005]

This seems like a nice recipe, especially since I haven't cooked much dishes yet, but already reduced wine and also made a Mirroir and wine sauce with Beef & Chicken Stock. And I also made some Tagliatelle and Spaghetti (also by hand). So why buying Orecchiette when I can try making them myself and learn a new pasta-technuque. I have some good Semola di grano duro (durum wheat flour) here and added 50% water in weight to make my first batch of this traditional pasta-shape. They came out better than I thought; well, some few look ugly and there is potential to get better but I made some progress. Oh, and I decided to go for a Lindeman's Bin 65 chardonnay from Australia for my sauce. I'll cook this dish for tomorrow, but for now I have some sourdough bread. And since I tried to make Cacio e Pepe I know that having enough starch left in the sauce, but not too much water is the tricky part of dishes like this.

[@JacobBurton]

Bonus points for making and drying the pasta yourself!

[@Egavas0]

what was the reasoning for not using fresh pasta for this technique? great video

[@JacobBurton]

Cent Fitty fresh pasta cooks too fast, and can go from perfect to over done in seconds. For fresh pasta I recommend the more traditional method of pulling the pasta straight from the water and into the awaiting sauté pan where the other ingredients and sauce are ready to go. Tossy-toss for a couple of seconds and serve. If you click on the pasta playlist I link at the end of the video I have a video that shows this method for fresh pasta using home made pancetta and favs beans. Glad you liked the video!

[@ChiIeboy]

Genius.

[@JacobBurton]

Thank you.

[@ladytyphon7261]

My parents have been cooking a dish this way since about 1990. very similar to your dish here, mushrooms, bacon, onion, garlic, and then instant beef gravy powder is added once the pasta is fully cooked. it was a cheap dish that they threw together to feed us when money was tight.

[@timivers8823]

Making this.

[@Kuchenrolle]

I find that the starchiness can go too far, because starch takes away from the flavour. I usually finish my pasta in the sauce or at least cook it in a very small amount of water, which I then use to adjust the sauce. But last time I made spaghetti bolognese, I took the pasta out of the water too early and had to continue to cook it in the sauce for quite a while, and I kept adding more and more of the starchy water. Luckily I hadn't salted the water too generously, but still, at the end, it didn't quite taste right. I compared it to the ragout on its own and the difference was staggering - all the brightness was gone, it just tasted boring, heavy and clumsy, like when a dish is lacking salt or acidity. Adding these did not really help. The same is true of other sauces, I find it really difficult to thicken with starch (especially with a roux, but also with a slurry) and only use it if I have to or in minute amounts. I find it mutes the flavour. Instead I use gelatin as much as I can - it doesn't seem to have anywhere near as strong an effect and I find the mouthfeel more appealing as well.

[@JacobBurton]

I agree, especially in the case of meat sauces. You can easily over do it with the starch slurries, but the starch given off by one or two servings of pasta will help to form a light sauce if you don't already have a heavier sauce planned. Different approaches for different results.

[@vlxxx]

Awesome! Thanks!

[@faxdog7073]

Was the pasta boiled before adding in the pan or was it added dry?

[@JacobBurton]

DarkVips dry. That’s the whole point of this method.

[@josephdisilviojr6467]

Can you do this with any pasta, say Gnocchi or ravio

[@strikenryken]

I used cheap small shells it worked great!

[@kawaiigirl5548]

Is there away to cook all this with1 teaspoon of olive oil

[@SoliTary001]

My concern for this technique it would be over cooking the vegetables/ingredients that you have on the pan prior to cooking the pasta. Would it be better to save the pasta water reduce it "watching salt levels" and use it as a thickening agent? ingredients, stock, butter, pasta water.

[@JacobBurton]

Or you can remove the ingredients from the pan after sautéing, deglaze, and then add the ingredients back in when your about 2 minutes out from finishing the reduction. Either way will work.

[@GameMovieStudios2000]

very helpful video tho i was never brave enough to cook my pasta in my sauce

[@willd6215]

Brown nummies!!!!

[@pd5156]

So that brown stock is not salted?

[@JacobBurton]

Nope. Just roasted chicken stock.

[@JulioTheBusDriver]

Where can your "at home recreational chef" find fancy looking dishes like the ones you plate with?

[@JacobBurton]

A lot of the plates I use are made by "Front of House." If you search "Front of House Plates" on Google, you should be able to find some websites that will sell them to you. We get all of ours through our equipment rep.

[@alansilverberg5788]

fucken fantastic as always

[@JacobBurton]

Thanks Alan. Much appreciated!

[@chefalbino]

nope i do it like napolitan : cook it in water to "tosti" = hard (but not breaking) then ad it to the sauce and cook it to al'dente - serve it

[@JacobBurton]

I'm sorry but that's completely unacceptable! Absolutely no one par cooks pasta in water and then finishes in sauce. This is preposterous! ;-)

[@chefalbino]

@@JacobBurton starch dulls the complexity of the sauce. the more starch - the less complex the sauce will be. if you cook the pasta in the sauce - it can never be great - just good.

[@JacobBurton]

@@chefalbino That's an interesting point, and follows the same philosophy as to why I don't use starch thickeners in my full reduction sauces like my demi-glaces. Honestly, I've had really great results with this technique, and love the versatility, especially with the smaller pastas, but it's just one of many approaches to cooking and executing pasta. I've got a good friend of mine who's a very successful Italian chef that uses a touch of starchy pasta water as an emulsifier and thickener, and his pasta dishes are always amazing, in my humble opinion. BUT, you definitely bring up a good point, and I always appreciate learning different perspectives and approaches. The culinary world is a big place and there's always more to learn! Thanks for sharing your perspective.

[@kimchisgood2993]

Sorry but as Italian chef what you did just in that Orecchiette (dropping full ladle of Water Or stock?) it was a terrorist attack .

[@willd6215]

So that vat of boiling water in kitchens is just very starchy from all the pasta. Surely the first batch of pasta is gonna be less starchy than the last which would supposedly be a starch fest

[@JacobBurton]

In typical restaurant production, most of the pasta is par cooked before service and then chilled, so that way during dinner service, it only takes a few minutes to pick up the pasta which is dropped back into the water to finish cooking. So the par cooking of the pasta before service sets the baseline starch level in the pasta cooker. The pasta cooker itself is usually hard plumbed with it's own fill spout and drain, so the water is partially drained and refilled throughout the service (in a perfect world). However, just like everything else, this is all about execution. So if the restaurant didn't blanch pasta before service and start with a baseline of starch in the water, and they're relying on that starch to thicken their sauce, then the first few pasta dishes of the night will be watery. If the cook doesn't care about the starch build up in the pasta cooker and lets it go all night without refreshing, especially on a busy night, then the resulting pasta dishes would surely be a "starch fest" as you put it. The monitoring of the starch levels in the pasta cooker is just one of many, many variables that will dictate whether or not you're going to have a great, good, or bad experience that night. It's the attention to these details and how consistently the restaurant can execute on them that dictates where the restaurant ends up on the scale of bad / good / great.

[@jd5787]

Just wondering : would that work with long pasta? How would you execute this technique with tomato (or pesto) types of sauces? (it look like this technique would work best with liquid/broth type of sauce). Thanks!

[@JacobBurton]

@@jd5787 Technique does work best with liquid / broth style sauces because thicker sauces don't have a hard time clinging to the pasta or emulsifying in finishing fats like olive oil and butter. This technique can be done with longer pasta though by first soaking in cold water until it starts to soften enough so that it is bendable (about 30-45 minutes depending on thickness of pasta), and then cooking as shown in the video. Be conscious that the pasta will cook faster since it's already been pre-soaked, so you may want to reduce the soaking liquid slightly before adding the pasta and finishing. This is a great technique for pasta Alfredo, which is traditionally just pasta and cheese, but a lot of restaurants outside of Italy add cream to the sauce so they don't have to worry about the butter emulsification breaking. This unfortunately changes the true nature of the dish for the worst in my opinion, but is a necessary evil if you don't have starchy pasta water to help you stabilize the emulsion.

[@sbpmchris]

Love the video but man that pan needs a clean!

[@JacobBurton]

At the risk of breaking the 4th wall, I actually started off with a brand new pan but my set designer told me there was no way people would believe I was a professional chef with a pan that pristine. So we burnt on a bunch of carbon to make it look as if the pan had been used to produce thousands of meals over the last year, and then re-shot the video. I'm kinda regretting that decision now, but sometimes you've gotta trust the pros ya' know? ;-) Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed the video. And if you know any good set designers, please send them my way. I may have an opening on my team in the near future.

[@GameMovieStudios2000]

Are you ok? It felt like you had a 'cry' face

[@JacobBurton]

You know when your mom told you if you keep making that face it will get stuck that way? Well ... I didn't listen. But yeah; outside of my face being stuck in a constant frown, I've never been better. Thanks for asking!

[@SW-qv7gi]

If you’re trying to keep things vegan...bacon pasta😋

[@JacobBurton]

Yeah ... the irony wasn't lost on me. BUT, this is one of my go to dishes to make for a vegan on the fly and I always get really good feedback. Saute some mushrooms and veggies in the pan, deglaze with wine, add vegetable stock, finish with a good olive oil, and you've got a pretty good dish on your hands. Bonus points for vegan cashew "cheese" grated over the top!

[@Carsonsaxplayer]

It’s not starchy AF??

[@JacobBurton]

Nope. Give it a try. I think you'll be surprised.

[@Carsonsaxplayer]

Jacob Burton every recipe I’ve tried of yours has been amazing... my presentation was definitely lacking, but very tasty.

[@JacobBurton]

@@Carsonsaxplayer Presentation comes with time and practice. But at the end of the day, if it doesn't taste delicious then presentation doesn't matter. Just keep practicing your plate composition. It will come with time.

[@susenovell2]

Omg! The index finger on the knife?????Noooooooo!!!!!

[@JacobBurton]

When chopping and mincing I agree. When slicing it makes the knife an extension of your index finger which makes things quick and accurate. I use the same grip with a boning knife when doing butchery. Different strokes for different folks and all that good stuff. ;-)

[@kawaiigirl5548]

Is there away to cook all this with1 teaspoon of olive oil