Spaghetti: To Cut or Not To Cut? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

captobvious · 08-05-2006, 06:00 PM

As a fan of spaghetti for most of my life, I've enjoyed it prepared in a variety of ways. Not just in different sauces, but also in different lengths. From my experiences so far, I've found that there are two types of people: 1) those who like their spaghetti as is and 2) those who like it shorter.

I had an old roommate who hated short spaghetti. He absolutely refused to break it before cooking it or to cut it shorter before eating it. On the other hand, I grew up with a mom who always broke the spaghetti up before cooking it, and I really don't mind the shorter length. It may not wrap around a fork as well, but it also doesn't get tangled up into a giant mess as easily.

How do you prefer your spaghetti? Are there certain reasons why you must have it a certain way?

Charlatan · 08-05-2006, 06:11 PM

One should never cut spaghetti.

I use a fork and a spoon to twirl just the right amount.

The only time I cut spaghetti is when I give it to my four-year-old daughter.

maleficent · 08-05-2006, 06:17 PM

I'm flashing back to the i love lucy episode where she's in the brown derby and has to use manicure scissors to cut her spaghetti...

Just suck it in baby...

spaghetti should not be cut.. my mother used to break it before she put it into the pot - drove me crazy- first thing i did when moved out on my own-- bought a good pot and made spaghetti properly

Willravel · 08-05-2006, 06:29 PM

As I understand it, cutting spaghetti is like buttering your bread with the common knife; it's simply not done. Roll it up in your fork, make sure it's the right size for one medium bite, dip it in sauce, stab a bite of meatball if you like, then enjoy. And unless you're in Asia, don't slurp.

If you are served a meatball with a 12 inch diameter, like I do, then you can start cutting away. BTW, does anyone else like to BBQ their meatballs? I like them with about a 3.5 inch diameter, perfectly spherical, and barbequed lightly on the outside before braising it in the sauce. Is that normal?

Meditrina · 08-05-2006, 06:37 PM

This thread is making me crave spaghetti now.

My mom always cut it in half before she cooked, I guess I thought that was normal. I still cut mine in half. Maybe next time I will try leaving it uncut and just cut it for my children.

Brewmaniac · 08-05-2006, 06:41 PM

Cutting spaghetti is just wrong! Roll it on a fork.

maleficent · 08-05-2006, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by willravel

I like them with about a 3.5 inch diameter, perfectly spherical, and barbequed lightly on the outside before braising it in the sauce. Is that normal?

If you have to ask... then it's probably not..

but that's ok - you can stay..

Rodney · 08-05-2006, 07:07 PM

Don't cut spaghetti. Roll it on your fork. It's easier.

My mom broke spaghetti, but that was simply her way of getting a lot of dry spaghetti into a small pot.

captobvious · 08-05-2006, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by willravel

If you are served a meatball with a 12 inch diameter, like I do, then you can start cutting away. BTW, does anyone else like to BBQ their meatballs? I like them with about a 3.5 inch diameter, perfectly spherical, and barbequed lightly on the outside before braising it in the sauce. Is that normal?

I don't think I've ever heard of BBQ meatballs. Sounds tasty though, and if it tastes good, who cares if it's normal or not?

splck · 08-05-2006, 08:09 PM

People cut or break spaghetti? That's just not right.

shoegirl · 08-06-2006, 04:40 AM

I actually cut the spaghetti, usually just once, and then twirl in onto my fork. Just to make the bites a wee bit smaller. But, I definitely don't understand the people that cut and cut and don't twirl. You have to twirl, it's the only right way to eat it.

snowy · 08-06-2006, 09:47 AM

MY dad cuts up his spaghetti...but that's how things have always been done on that side of the family. They're Dutch--they use their fork and knife to excess when eating.

I twirl, personally.

little_tippler · 08-07-2006, 04:02 AM

I have to disagree with either side. I like my spaghetti a variety of ways. Variety is the key, for different moods I have different wants.

My mom used to make me a kid's version of spaghetti carbonara with ham and egg and she would chop it up a little for me. It tasted great and I still eat it sometimes today. It tastes better cut, somehow less bulky and more dainty.

Sometimes I even like to cut my spaghetti up smaller, like maybe 3 cm lengths. It tastes good to have spaghetti bolognaise that way - at home.

I also usually have my spaghetti all in one piece. That's the grown-up, gourmet way, and I know that's what you're supposed to do.

I say to hell with convention, with some limitations. In public and in restaurants, I eat my spaghetti whole. I don't like to see people cutting their spaghetti in public - so I don't do it either. But sometimes, if I'm honest, I do the cut spaghetti at home. Usually after it's cooked, not before.

Never say it's not good if you haven't tried it. It can be, in the right setting.

Toaster126 · 08-07-2006, 07:09 AM

I break my spaghetti in half when I toss it in the water. Makes the eating faster for me.

Cynthetiq · 08-07-2006, 07:14 AM

Asians believe that long noodles equal long life, Italians I'm not so sure...

I don't like to break my noodles, but will cut them once they are in my bowl for ease of shoveling into my gullet.

captobvious · 08-09-2006, 01:07 PM

Is there any difference between breaking spaghetti vs. cutting it after cooking? Or are they equally offensive to the spaghetti purists?

CaliLivChick · 08-09-2006, 01:24 PM

My boyfriend broke the spaghetti once, and only once, before putting it in the pot. After I "spoke" with him about it, he never has since. Of course, he also put oil in the water, thinking that it would help the spaghetti not stick together. Alton Brown of Food Network will tell you that simply isn't true. My boyfriend has since reformed his evil ways. And that's my position on breaking the spaghetti before cooking.

Now, as far as cutting spaghetti while it is on the plate, I only feel that should happen with children and people with a gap between their front teeth. Before I had braces, whenever we'd eat spaghetti, my parents would get on my case about the spaghetti hanging out of my mouth (wasn't the best spaghetti twirler when I was younger). I would tell them that I was trying to bite it, but it would go between my two front teeth, and avoid being bitten. I finally had to cut my spaghetti. After my braces, no problem, and my spaghetti hasn't seen a knife since.

robodog · 08-09-2006, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaliLivChick

My boyfriend broke the spaghetti once, and only once, before putting it in the pot. After I "spoke" with him about it, he never has since. Of course, he also put oil in the water, thinking that it would help the spaghetti not stick together. Alton Brown of Food Network will tell you that simply isn't true. My boyfriend has since reformed his evil ways. And that's my position on breaking the spaghetti before cooking.

Now, as far as cutting spaghetti while it is on the plate, I only feel that should happen with children and people with a gap between their front teeth. Before I had braces, whenever we'd eat spaghetti, my parents would get on my case about the spaghetti hanging out of my mouth (wasn't the best spaghetti twirler when I was younger). I would tell them that I was trying to bite it, but it would go between my two front teeth, and avoid being bitten. I finally had to cut my spaghetti. After my braces, no problem, and my spaghetti hasn't seen a knife since.

Oil in the water helps break up the froth that can be made when the boiling water forms bubbles from the starch released by the cooking pasta, I personally found that I get a lot less boil over if I use a couple tablespoons olive oil in the pot.

maleficent · 08-09-2006, 02:46 PM

the problem with adding oil to the pot, is when you drain the pasta.. the oil sticks to the pasta... and it can (not always does) prevents the sauce from sticking to the pasta.

Pot big enough to cook the pasta, and enough water in the pot you don't have a stickage problem...

Ch'i · 08-09-2006, 03:28 PM

A very effective way to prevent spaghetti stick is to shock it.
Immedeately after it is finished boiling dump it into a strainer submerged in ice water. After around 3-5 seconds remove the strainer (with spaghetti) from the ice water, and enjoy the lack of stickiness.

And I agree with most of you that spaghetti should never be cut.

ASU2003 · 08-09-2006, 03:35 PM

I always will break spaghetti (into 2" pieces) before putting it into the water.

That way I can eat it faster, and it is easier to magange on a fork. There is less chance of it falling off of the fork onto your shirt or pants if it is cut up.

You can't get the right amount of sauce when you twirl it on a fork. And I also use a can of corn in the sauce, and it just works better if it is cut.

Cynthetiq · 08-09-2006, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robodog

Oil in the water helps break up the froth that can be made when the boiling water forms bubbles from the starch released by the cooking pasta, I personally found that I get a lot less boil over if I use a couple tablespoons olive oil in the pot.

not that alton is the end all be all...

Quote:

Start with hot tap water and put it over high heat. Now is the time to add salt and I'm afraid that this is not an optional step. It's required. See, the pasta is going to take up a lot of water and this is the only chance you're going to have to get seasoning inside the noodles. Now, a lot of recipes suggest that you add salt depending on the amount of pasta. That just doesn't make sense to me. The salt should be a function of the water. I go with about a teaspoon per quart. Once it's dissolved it should taste kind of like seawater which is my general rule of thumb for all starches.
Now, slap on the lid to speed up heating. This tankard should be up to a rolling boil in about 20 minutes. And do not add oil to the water, ever. It just floats on top like an oil slick. It doesn't do any good whatsoever. What does end up on the pasta will only make it harder for cheese, oil or sauce to stick.

read the rest of the transcript of the Pasta show

Toaster126 · 08-10-2006, 03:55 AM

Ha, I don't put salt in mine. What am I missing? Pasta sauce has salt in it, doesn't it?

shoegirl · 08-10-2006, 04:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toaster126

Ha, I don't put salt in mine.

hmm... I do put salt in mine, but only because that's how my dad taught me to make it. I've never questioned why I do it, I just do.

maleficent · 08-10-2006, 04:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toaster126

Ha, I don't put salt in mine. What am I missing? Pasta sauce has salt in it, doesn't it?

pasta is relatively flavorless... salting the water is the only time that the pasta has to get flavored (i also throw a few cloves of garlic in my water for added flavor) yes the pasta sauce has salt in it- but every layer of food should be seasoned... you shouldn't put a steak on the grill without seasoning it a bit first - same with pasta

Gatorade Frost · 08-10-2006, 09:39 AM

See, my issue is when rolling it the roll on the fork is so massive I can't do anything with it. It's like everything on my plate just rolls into one big ball.

maleficent · 08-10-2006, 09:46 AM

that's why you have a spoon, and you have to learn proper rolling technique...

You don't dig your fork to the bottom of your plate, you start at the top, and roll a little delicately...

Meditrina · 08-10-2006, 11:05 AM

Well, I made spaghetti last night. It didn't fit in my largest pot. I had to cut it in half. Once it got on my plate, I did not cut it any further, I twirled it. I need to get me a larger spaghetti pot!

Gatorade Frost · 08-10-2006, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maleficent

that's why you have a spoon, and you have to learn proper rolling technique...

You don't dig your fork to the bottom of your plate, you start at the top, and roll a little delicately...

Yeah... Even when I do that, it's a problem. I've got a pretty small mouth, though, so that could be some of the problem.

captobvious · 08-10-2006, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maleficent

that's why you have a spoon, and you have to learn proper rolling technique...

You don't dig your fork to the bottom of your plate, you start at the top, and roll a little delicately...

i guess i haven't learned the proper rolling technique either. i seem to always end up with a big ball too. fortunately, i have a big mouth, so that's not a problem.

maleficent · 08-10-2006, 05:07 PM

somewhere on the web, probably your tube, there's a video of proper pasta rolling technique

or maybe charlatan could create one

THE SPOON QUESTION, OR HOW TO EAT PASTA LIKE AN EXPERT

Quote:

Published: May 19, 1982
''Most restaurants (and hostesses) that feature pasta provide guests with a large spoon as well as the knife and fork. The fork is used to spear a few strands of spaghetti, the tips are placed against the spoon, which is held on its side, in the left hand, and the fork is twirled, wrapping the spaghetti around itself as it turns. If no spoon is provided, the tips of the fork may be rested against the curve of the plate.'' ''The New Emily Post's Etiquette,'' Elizabeth L. Post, 1975 By CRAIG CLAIBORNE

WITH America in the throes of what has been called the ''pastarization of the nation,'' when enthusiasm for fusilli and fettuccine, ziti and spaghetti is at an all-time high, it may be time to pause to examine what is right and what is wrong with various techniques for cooking and eating pasta.

For example, is it proper, as Emily Post says, to twirl spaghetti against a spoon? Or, as she also says, with the tips of the fork resting against the curve of the plate? Should bread be served with pasta, another starch? Is it correct to sprinkle cheese on pasta with seafood sauce? When cheese is in order, what is the best cheese? Should strands of long pasta be broken before being tossed into the pot?

The owners of three of the best-known Italian restaurants in Manhattan recently convened to feast on pasta and discuss just how and with what it should be eaten. The diners were Adi Giovanetti, proprietor of Il Nido, and his wife, Rosanna; Sirio Maccioni, owner of Le Cirque, and his wife, Egi, and Luigi Nanni, proprietor and chef of both Nanni's and Il Valetto. The elflike Mr. Nanni cooked, preparing two pastas with sauces, one of which contained Fontina cheese and wild field mushrooms (cultivated mushrooms, he said, could be substituted), and a salsa alla militare or military sauce made with tomatoes, fresh basil and dried hot pepper.

As the meal progressed the discussion became Mount Etna-like in its eruptions. Cheese with seafood pasta? Never! Well, maybe. Both Mr. Giovanetti and Mr. Nanni declared vehemently that cheese with seafood would be as much of a sacrilege as pouring ketchup over carpaccio. Mr. Maccioni, however, the most free-thinking of the group, declared that he did not feel strongly about it, that he at times sprinkled a little freshly grated Parmegiano-Reggiano over his shrimp and squid with linguine or his scampi tagliatelle. As far as he is concerned, it is a question of taste.

Mr. Giovanetti and Mr. Nanni conceded that there just might be one exception to their rule: If the base for the dish was butter rather than oil, one might add a touch of cheese to help bind the sauce. But they weren't enthusiastic about it.

As to the use of a fork plus a spoon for eating pasta, all those at the table were adamant. Spoons are for children, amateurs and people with bad table manners in general.

Egi Maccioni recalled her childhood days of eating pasta. ''My grandparents spent hours teaching me how to eat pasta without using a spoon, how to twirl my fork so that not a strand of spaghetti would be hanging down as I lifted that fork to my mouth.''

''At home,'' she added, ''if I couldn't master the technique, they'd punish me by taking all the food away.'' Is it improper to allow a few strands of pasta to hang down as it is transported to the mouth? ''If the pasta is cooked al dente,'' Mr. Nanni said, ''you are bound to have a few strands hanging.'' If the pasta fits that neatly around the fork, Mr. Giovanetti added, it is overcooked.

Mr. Nanni volunteered one exception to the no-spoon argument: ''If your sauce is very liquid - a juicy primavera, a clam sauce - you might use a spoon to prevent splattering.''

The first bowls of pasta, served with military sauce, were placed before each guest. Mr. Giovanetti forked his way into his bowl and demonstrated that the pasta, perfectly cooked, would not cling wraparound fashion to the fork. He ate with great relish.

It was generally agreed, however, that it is correct to place a spoon at each place setting. ''In Italy it is customary to first place the pasta in a bowl or on a plate,'' Mr. Giovanetti said. ''You then spoon the sauce on top and finally cheese, if you use it at all. You use your fork and spoon to toss the pasta with sauce and cheese, and you then eat it with your fork alone.''

The suggested techniques for using the fork were: Put the fork into a few strands of spaghetti; let the tines of the fork rest against the curve of the bowl or the curved indentation of the plate, while twirling the fork around and giving it brief quick lifts to prevent too much pasta from accumulating. When one discrete mass of pasta can be lifted, hoist away.

As to whether it is best to serve pasta in a bowl or on a plate, most of those present voted for a bowl. But as for the serving of bread with pasta, there were varying opinions. ''I don't believe in it,'' Mr. Nanni said. ''They do that in country homes where there isn't enough money for meat.''

''I know that purists say no,'' Mr. Maccioni said, ''but I think you should serve bread. It is always on the table at the restaurant. In the family one should serve bread to dip in the leftover sauce once the pasta is eaten.''

As for whether strands of pasta should be broken before they are tossed into the boiling kettle, the answer from this gathering was, absolutely not.

''The reason that notion came about,'' Mr. Nanni said, ''is that in Italy when you go to the market, you buy pasta out of a large drawer in which the strands may be a yard long.'' The pasta is broken in half to make it more convenient to carry, he said. In this country, however, pasta is relatively short (about 11 inches) and there is no need to break it. If it doesn't fit in your pot, place the ends in first and push down as the water softens it. Tiny strands of pasta, it was agreed, are for children.

What about the best cheese for pasta? The restaurateurs said that their first choice is imported Parmigiano-Reggiano, which must be at least two years old before it is exported. Pecorino goes especially well with certain sauces, Mr. Giovanetti said, and he named three: carbonara made with pancetta (Italian bacon), eggs and cheese; matriciana (or amatriciana) made with onions, bacon, white wine and tomatoes, and pesto, made with garlic and basil.

Two sauces were made that day by Mr. Nanni and a third by Nico Girolla, a guest at the dinner. His was an excellent sauce made with Gorgonzola cheese, pistachios or walnuts and a touch of Cognac.

Check out the date on the article

How to Eat Pasta

Quote:

HOW TO EAT PASTA
The concept of good manners varies a lot when we compare different cultures, values and ways of living. One good way to figure out the rules is to pay attention, in a discrete way, to the people who are eating close to you. The ideal motto to have is ‘When in Rome do as the Romans do’.
The question here is how to eat spaghetti and other long pastas!
Pasta should be served on a flat plate and not in a soup bowl. Do not pile the plates for the different courses. Pasta is never served directly onto the plates but always served when the guests are seated. The fork for the pasta is of the same size as the fork for main course and is placed on the left-hand side of the plate.
Eating spaghetti can be quite difficult especially for those who are attempting it for the first time. Come to think of it even many Italians are not so good at it. There spaghetti is not served at any official banquet so that no guest will feel embarrassed. Therefore do not feel discouraged and start eating it and enjoying it too. First of all take your fork and turn it as if winding something, using your thumb, forefinger and middle finger. Try the movement a few times on an empty plate. Now wind up a reasonable quantity of spaghetti onto your fork and put them into your mouth quickly using your fork to help push in any spaghetti that remained outside. If at first you wind too many, try again until you get the right amount. There is no need to use the spoon. The spoon is there to help you wind the pasta onto your fork. Twirl the pasta with a fork either by rolling it around in the spoon or just use the fork alone, keeping the fork tip in contact with the plate. Though some would disagree, if necessary, the pasta can be cut before twirling. Slurping pasta is not proper.

How to eat pasta from Get Girls.com

Quote:

Dear Friends and Subscribers,

This week I want to focus on table manners while eating Italian food. Believe me, if you're out on a dinner date and you have bad table manners, you're going to make a bad impression on your date.

I know this is not fair, but sometimes when you're out on a first date, especially, and you turn your date off with your bad table manners, she may not even want to date you again. You have been pre-judged as a person that was not raised right, eats like a pig, and a person that shows lack of respect for your date.

I eat a lot of Italian food and I always look around at the guys that are with dates. And sure enough, you will see guys stuffing a fork full of pasta into their mouths and biting off the strands with their teeth and letting the remainder of the pasta fall into their plate.

This makes you look like a pig and turns off your date! Let me tell you the proper way to eat pasta so you don't embarrass yourself and your date. It's called the "Twirling Method" and here's how to do it:

1. Just grab a few strands of your pasta with your fork and twirl the strands using the end of your fork against your plate. This way you will end up with a bite size portion to put into your mouth.

2. This is a variation of the above method using a spoon: Instead of twisting the pasta around your fork against your plate, you put pasta in your spoon you are holding in your left hand, and twirl your fork around the pasta in the spoon and take a bite size portion.

So, the next time you are eating pasta with a date, please remember to use the "Twirling Method" to eat pasta. Also, never wear a white shirt when eating pasta, because it never fails that you will get the sauces on your shirt.

splck · 08-10-2006, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robodog

Oil in the water helps break up the froth that can be made when the boiling water forms bubbles from the starch released by the cooking pasta, I personally found that I get a lot less boil over if I use a couple tablespoons olive oil in the pot.

Like Mal says...use a bigger pot with lots of water.

goddfather40 · 08-16-2006, 09:15 PM

I'll chime in as a person of Italian descent and say that, if you are older than say 10 yrs old, then one does not cut their spaghetti. You just don't. For younger children, cutting is fine. My family would look at you weird if you came to dinner and proceeded to cut the spaghetti and probably would kick you out of the house...

jk

spindles · 08-16-2006, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maleficent

pasta is relatively flavorless... salting the water is the only time that the pasta has to get flavored (i also throw a few cloves of garlic in my water for added flavor) yes the pasta sauce has salt in it- but every layer of food should be seasoned... you shouldn't put a steak on the grill without seasoning it a bit first - same with pasta

or you should season what you want to season. I rarely add any seasoning to steak before grilling (good steak is tasty enough!), add only a little salt to water for pasta and add nothing to rice (except water of course

). Seasoning really is a personal preference.

edit: fixed a typo

snowy · 08-16-2006, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goddfather40

I'll chime in as a person of Italian descent and say that, if you are older than say 10 yrs old, then one does not cut their spaghetti. You just don't. For younger children, cutting is fine. My family would look at you weird if you came to dinner and proceeded to cut the spaghetti and probably would kick you out of the house...

jk

Similarly, if you were a person of Dutch descent they would think you odd if you DIDN'T cut your spaghetti.

Dane Bramage · 08-25-2006, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cynthetiq

not that alton is the end all be all...

Um... yeah he is

So... the quesiton begs to be asked. Why don't you break your pasta? does it change the taste of the pasta. Does it effect the way the sauce works?

I used to be one of those people that thought "pasta is pasta... just different shapes". now I'm realizing that the shape effects the way the sauce clings to it... so i can conceded that. is it the same for the length?

Oh... and just to keep on subject... i'm a pasta breaker. only because it fits in the pot better.

Charlatan · 08-25-2006, 03:52 PM

I don't understand this, "it fits in the pot better". The volume is the same whether it's broken or whole. The only difference is that you need to be patient. It takes all of 30 seconds (maybe less) for the noodles to get soft enough to completely submerge.

I have been watching the Singaporeans eat noodles. They either use chopsticks and a spoon or a fork and a spoon. They pick up a small amount of noodles with the chopsticks or fork and then lower them into the spoon (they are using the asian style spoon that has a deeper spoon) then they eat the noodle from the spoon.

I feel so piggish eating noodles the Japanese way (with chopsticks straight to the mouth).

ngdawg · 08-25-2006, 06:44 PM

Fit's in the pot better lengthwise, not volume, so it's completely submerged at once.
I break mine in half to fit in the pot-my pasta pot isn't deep-it's wide.
As for salt, I don't add it but I was under the impression it was to hasten the boiling point, not season the pasta. I just keep a lid on it til it hits boil, drop the sketti in, put the lid back til it reboils, then keep stirring til it's nice and rolling (that keeps it seperate.) I don't use oil, but I do use the same spoon from the meatballs and sauce pot to stir the pasta. My mom uses a few drops of cooked sauce in the spaghetti to keep it from sticking when it's being served.
Who else puts their meatballs in the sauce raw and lets it all cook together?

micah67 · 08-28-2006, 05:40 PM

I understood the addition of salt was to raise the boiling temperature - especially helpful at higher altitudes. It takes longer to boil but with hotter water the food cooks faster.
But from what I've read, it takes a lot of salt to raise the boiling temp more than a few degrees - so it's probably only done these days "because that's how Mom did it."

castex · 09-14-2006, 04:46 PM

Cut spaghetti? Whaaaat? lol, That's what the tins are for. Have it on toast, people, but not past the age of - ooh - seven. Easy tiger, i'm just pulling your leg. Oh, and the water should be salty as the Mediterranean. It just should. E basta.

ps. that last bit is not an insult!

08-05-2006, 06:00 PM	#1 (permalink)
captobvious Insane Location: Somewhere	Spaghetti: To Cut or Not To Cut? As a fan of spaghetti for most of my life, I've enjoyed it prepared in a variety of ways. Not just in different sauces, but also in different lengths. From my experiences so far, I've found that there are two types of people: 1) those who like their spaghetti as is and 2) those who like it shorter. I had an old roommate who hated short spaghetti. He absolutely refused to break it before cooking it or to cut it shorter before eating it. On the other hand, I grew up with a mom who always broke the spaghetti up before cooking it, and I really don't mind the shorter length. It may not wrap around a fork as well, but it also doesn't get tangled up into a giant mess as easily. How do you prefer your spaghetti? Are there certain reasons why you must have it a certain way?

08-05-2006, 06:11 PM	#2 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	One should never cut spaghetti. I use a fork and a spoon to twirl just the right amount. The only time I cut spaghetti is when I give it to my four-year-old daughter. __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

08-05-2006, 06:17 PM	#3 (permalink)
maleficent Junkie Moderator Emeritus Location: Chicago	I'm flashing back to the i love lucy episode where she's in the brown derby and has to use manicure scissors to cut her spaghetti... Just suck it in baby... spaghetti should not be cut.. my mother used to break it before she put it into the pot - drove me crazy- first thing i did when moved out on my own-- bought a good pot and made spaghetti properly __________________ Free your heart from hatred. Free your mind from worries. Live simply. Give more. Expect less.

08-05-2006, 06:37 PM	#5 (permalink)
Meditrina Junkie Location: LI,NY	This thread is making me crave spaghetti now. My mom always cut it in half before she cooked, I guess I thought that was normal. I still cut mine in half. Maybe next time I will try leaving it uncut and just cut it for my children. __________________ "Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles." ~Alex Karras Last edited by Meditrina; 08-05-2006 at 06:44 PM..

08-05-2006, 06:41 PM	#6 (permalink)
Brewmaniac Searching for the perfect brew!	Cutting spaghetti is just wrong! Roll it on a fork. __________________ "That's a joke... I say, that's a joke, son"

08-05-2006, 06:29 PM	#4 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	As I understand it, cutting spaghetti is like buttering your bread with the common knife; it's simply not done. Roll it up in your fork, make sure it's the right size for one medium bite, dip it in sauce, stab a bite of meatball if you like, then enjoy. And unless you're in Asia, don't slurp. If you are served a meatball with a 12 inch diameter, like I do, then you can start cutting away. BTW, does anyone else like to BBQ their meatballs? I like them with about a 3.5 inch diameter, perfectly spherical, and barbequed lightly on the outside before braising it in the sauce. Is that normal?

08-05-2006, 07:07 PM	#8 (permalink)
Rodney Observant Ruminant Location: Rich Wannabe Hippie Town	Don't cut spaghetti. Roll it on your fork. It's easier. My mom broke spaghetti, but that was simply her way of getting a lot of dry spaghetti into a small pot.

08-05-2006, 08:09 PM	#10 (permalink)
splck it's jam Location: Lowerainland BC	People cut or break spaghetti? That's just not right. __________________ nice line eh?

08-06-2006, 04:40 AM	#11 (permalink)
shoegirl Addict Location: Ohio	I actually cut the spaghetti, usually just once, and then twirl in onto my fork. Just to make the bites a wee bit smaller. But, I definitely don't understand the people that cut and cut and don't twirl. You have to twirl, it's the only right way to eat it.

08-06-2006, 09:47 AM	#12 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	MY dad cuts up his spaghetti...but that's how things have always been done on that side of the family. They're Dutch--they use their fork and knife to excess when eating. I twirl, personally. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

08-07-2006, 04:02 AM	#13 (permalink)
little_tippler Leaning against the -Sun- Super Moderator Location: on the other side	I have to disagree with either side. I like my spaghetti a variety of ways. Variety is the key, for different moods I have different wants. My mom used to make me a kid's version of spaghetti carbonara with ham and egg and she would chop it up a little for me. It tasted great and I still eat it sometimes today. It tastes better cut, somehow less bulky and more dainty. Sometimes I even like to cut my spaghetti up smaller, like maybe 3 cm lengths. It tastes good to have spaghetti bolognaise that way - at home. I also usually have my spaghetti all in one piece. That's the grown-up, gourmet way, and I know that's what you're supposed to do. I say to hell with convention, with some limitations. In public and in restaurants, I eat my spaghetti whole. I don't like to see people cutting their spaghetti in public - so I don't do it either. But sometimes, if I'm honest, I do the cut spaghetti at home. Usually after it's cooked, not before. Never say it's not good if you haven't tried it. It can be, in the right setting. __________________ Whether we write or speak or do but look We are ever unapparent. What we are Cannot be transfused into word or book. Our soul from us is infinitely far. However much we give our thoughts the will To be our soul and gesture it abroad, Our hearts are incommunicable still. In what we show ourselves we are ignored. The abyss from soul to soul cannot be bridged By any skill of thought or trick of seeming. Unto our very selves we are abridged When we would utter to our thought our being. We are our dreams of ourselves, souls by gleams, And each to each other dreams of others' dreams. Fernando Pessoa, 1918

08-07-2006, 07:09 AM	#14 (permalink)
Toaster126 Extreme moderation Location: Kansas City, yo.	I break my spaghetti in half when I toss it in the water. Makes the eating faster for me. __________________ "The question isn't who is going to let me, it's who is going to stop me." (Ayn Rand) "The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers." (M. Scott Peck)

08-07-2006, 07:14 AM	#15 (permalink)
Cynthetiq Tilted Cat Head Administrator Location: Manhattan, NY	Asians believe that long noodles equal long life, Italians I'm not so sure... I don't like to break my noodles, but will cut them once they are in my bowl for ease of shoveling into my gullet. __________________ I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not. What's the best nation in the world? DO-NATION!

08-09-2006, 01:07 PM	#16 (permalink)
captobvious Insane Location: Somewhere	Is there any difference between breaking spaghetti vs. cutting it after cooking? Or are they equally offensive to the spaghetti purists?

08-09-2006, 01:24 PM	#17 (permalink)
CaliLivChick In Transition Location: Sanford, FL (between Daytona and Orlando)	My boyfriend broke the spaghetti once, and only once, before putting it in the pot. After I "spoke" with him about it, he never has since. Of course, he also put oil in the water, thinking that it would help the spaghetti not stick together. Alton Brown of Food Network will tell you that simply isn't true. My boyfriend has since reformed his evil ways. And that's my position on breaking the spaghetti before cooking. Now, as far as cutting spaghetti while it is on the plate, I only feel that should happen with children and people with a gap between their front teeth. Before I had braces, whenever we'd eat spaghetti, my parents would get on my case about the spaghetti hanging out of my mouth (wasn't the best spaghetti twirler when I was younger). I would tell them that I was trying to bite it, but it would go between my two front teeth, and avoid being bitten. I finally had to cut my spaghetti. After my braces, no problem, and my spaghetti hasn't seen a knife since. __________________ Don't trust anything that can bleed for a week and not die. Oh wait, that's me... nevermind... you can trust me.

08-09-2006, 02:46 PM	#19 (permalink)
maleficent Junkie Moderator Emeritus Location: Chicago	the problem with adding oil to the pot, is when you drain the pasta.. the oil sticks to the pasta... and it can (not always does) prevents the sauce from sticking to the pasta. Pot big enough to cook the pasta, and enough water in the pot you don't have a stickage problem... __________________ Free your heart from hatred. Free your mind from worries. Live simply. Give more. Expect less.

08-09-2006, 03:28 PM	#20 (permalink)
Ch'i Artist of Life	A very effective way to prevent spaghetti stick is to shock it. Immedeately after it is finished boiling dump it into a strainer submerged in ice water. After around 3-5 seconds remove the strainer (with spaghetti) from the ice water, and enjoy the lack of stickiness. And I agree with most of you that spaghetti should never be cut. Last edited by Ch'i; 08-09-2006 at 03:30 PM..

08-09-2006, 03:35 PM	#21 (permalink)
ASU2003 immoral minority Location: Back in Ohio	I always will break spaghetti (into 2" pieces) before putting it into the water. That way I can eat it faster, and it is easier to magange on a fork. There is less chance of it falling off of the fork onto your shirt or pants if it is cut up. You can't get the right amount of sauce when you twirl it on a fork. And I also use a can of corn in the sauce, and it just works better if it is cut.

08-10-2006, 03:55 AM	#23 (permalink)
Toaster126 Extreme moderation Location: Kansas City, yo.	Ha, I don't put salt in mine. What am I missing? Pasta sauce has salt in it, doesn't it? __________________ "The question isn't who is going to let me, it's who is going to stop me." (Ayn Rand) "The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers." (M. Scott Peck)

08-10-2006, 09:39 AM	#26 (permalink)
Gatorade Frost Rookie	See, my issue is when rolling it the roll on the fork is so massive I can't do anything with it. It's like everything on my plate just rolls into one big ball. __________________ I got in a fight one time with a really big guy, and he said, "I'm going to mop the floor with your face." I said, "You'll be sorry." He said, "Oh, yeah? Why?" I said, "Well, you won't be able to get into the corners very well." Emo Philips

08-10-2006, 09:46 AM	#27 (permalink)
maleficent Junkie Moderator Emeritus Location: Chicago	that's why you have a spoon, and you have to learn proper rolling technique... You don't dig your fork to the bottom of your plate, you start at the top, and roll a little delicately... __________________ Free your heart from hatred. Free your mind from worries. Live simply. Give more. Expect less.

08-10-2006, 11:05 AM	#28 (permalink)
Meditrina Junkie Location: LI,NY	Well, I made spaghetti last night. It didn't fit in my largest pot. I had to cut it in half. Once it got on my plate, I did not cut it any further, I twirled it. I need to get me a larger spaghetti pot! __________________ "Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles." ~Alex Karras

08-16-2006, 09:15 PM	#33 (permalink)
goddfather40 Llama Location: Cali-for-nye-a	I'll chime in as a person of Italian descent and say that, if you are older than say 10 yrs old, then one does not cut their spaghetti. You just don't. For younger children, cutting is fine. My family would look at you weird if you came to dinner and proceeded to cut the spaghetti and probably would kick you out of the house... jk __________________ My name is goddfather40 and I approved this message. I got ho's and I got bitches, In C++ I branch with switches -MC Plus+

08-25-2006, 03:52 PM	#37 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	I don't understand this, "it fits in the pot better". The volume is the same whether it's broken or whole. The only difference is that you need to be patient. It takes all of 30 seconds (maybe less) for the noodles to get soft enough to completely submerge. I have been watching the Singaporeans eat noodles. They either use chopsticks and a spoon or a fork and a spoon. They pick up a small amount of noodles with the chopsticks or fork and then lower them into the spoon (they are using the asian style spoon that has a deeper spoon) then they eat the noodle from the spoon. I feel so piggish eating noodles the Japanese way (with chopsticks straight to the mouth). __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

08-25-2006, 06:44 PM	#38 (permalink)
ngdawg peekaboo Location: on the back, bitch	Fit's in the pot better lengthwise, not volume, so it's completely submerged at once. I break mine in half to fit in the pot-my pasta pot isn't deep-it's wide. As for salt, I don't add it but I was under the impression it was to hasten the boiling point, not season the pasta. I just keep a lid on it til it hits boil, drop the sketti in, put the lid back til it reboils, then keep stirring til it's nice and rolling (that keeps it seperate.) I don't use oil, but I do use the same spoon from the meatballs and sauce pot to stir the pasta. My mom uses a few drops of cooked sauce in the spaghetti to keep it from sticking when it's being served. Who else puts their meatballs in the sauce raw and lets it all cook together? __________________ Don't blame me. I didn't vote for either of'em.

08-28-2006, 05:40 PM	#39 (permalink)
micah67 Thor Location: 33:08:12N 117:10:23W	I understood the addition of salt was to raise the boiling temperature - especially helpful at higher altitudes. It takes longer to boil but with hotter water the food cooks faster. But from what I've read, it takes a lot of salt to raise the boiling temp more than a few degrees - so it's probably only done these days "because that's how Mom did it." __________________ ~micah

09-14-2006, 04:46 PM	#40 (permalink)
castex Psycho Location: france	Cut spaghetti? Whaaaat? lol, That's what the tins are for. Have it on toast, people, but not past the age of - ooh - seven. Easy tiger, i'm just pulling your leg. Oh, and the water should be salty as the Mediterranean. It just should. E basta. ps. that last bit is not an insult!