How was the spaghetti moist?

kraggy

Hi,

Went for a bit to eat yesterday evening. It was a simple spaghetti and stir-fried vegetable dish (brocolli, peppers, onions) with no sauce as such. i.e. no tomato or cream sauce.

But the dish was moist. In a good way. There was a little run of liquid when I tipped the bowl.

Now, when I cook spagetti and stir fried veg, it's dry as feck. So what made this spaghetti dish nice and moist? Is it something as simple as the water from boiling the spaghetti (though I doubt it as it wasn't a watery taste, it was nice).

Thanks.

The Hill Billy

It could have been a spoon or two of the water that the pasta was boiled in. Chefs commonly use it in the finished dish.

the beer revolu

The Hill Billy wrote: »

It could have been a spoon or two of the water that the pasta was boiled in. Chefs commonly use it in the finished dish.

Or that and some olive oil

Mellor

Or a sauce used to stir fry (similar to fish sauce but not as dark)

phormium

Had something similar for dinner last night myself, only kinda half strained the spaghetti and threw it into the stir fry pan fairly wettish, gives lovely bit of extra juice to the stir fry.

Tea_Bag

phormium wrote: »

Had something similar for dinner last night myself, only kinda half strained the spaghetti and threw it into the stir fry pan fairly wettish, gives lovely bit of extra juice to the stir fry.

if its a stir fry it probably has oyster sauce in it. a drop of that mixed with water goes a very long way anf tastes great.

in Thai cooking the chefs I know use another sauce simply called 'seasoning' and a whole bunch of Chinese writing. its a blend of soy and other sauces and it can make or break a dish. ill look up a pic when I'm not on my mobile but it can't be bought anywhere besides foreign specialist stores.

both these sauces would require a teaspoon or less with a few drops of water that turns the whole dish moist and tasty.

kraggy

Aargh. I'm vegetarian so hopefully it wasn't oyster sauce.

Might try a bit of extra water next time I try to cook something like this myself.

Thanks guys.

watna

After watching a Jamie Oliver programme I always add some of the water the pasta boiled in when mixing up pasta and sauces and it makes a huge difference. I'd never go back to not using it now. That was probably what it was.

I tend to use a bit of oil when cooking so I'd be reluctant to add olive oil to mine. Tasty though!

Tea_Bag

kraggy wrote: »

Aargh. I'm vegetarian so hopefully it wasn't oyster sauce.

Might try a bit of extra water next time I try to cook something like this myself.

Thanks guys.

You really should be specifically saying 'no oyster sauce or fish sauce' with stir fry's or any Thai or Chinese dishes, even if its vegetarian! Chefs get lazy and flavour is harder to get out of veg dishes.

fred funk }{

A knob of butter would do that and make it tasty.

arknine

fred funk }{ wrote: »

A knob of butter would do that and make it tasty.

agree.... my favourite lazy pasta sauce is knob of butter added to a tablespoon of retained cooking water and a good handfull of grated parmesan finished with a grind of black pepper. all added to drained pata in the pan over a little heat to combine and thicken... add more butter or water to taste or thin the sauce for personal taste