Save your pasta water

Yes, and you should.

Leftover pasta water is basically liquid starch. That starch does two things: thickens and emulsifies. That’s why you use it to finish pasta sauces—it helps the sauce cling to the noodles. Same idea works for other dishes.

Best uses: thin out a sauce that’s too thick without making it watery. Stir a ladleful into risotto or polenta instead of plain stock. Use it as the liquid in yeast bread or pizza dough—it gives a nicer crumb. Even works in scrambled eggs or an omelet for fluffier texture.

One catch: only reuse water that isn’t overly salty. If you salted your pasta water heavily (which you should), that salt carries over. Fine for savory dishes, but don’t add extra salt until you taste.

Your pasta water is better than tap water for cooking. Freeze what you don’t use in ice cube trays. Future you will thank present you.