Don't Toss That Pasta Water — Use It For Better Beans

Saving a dash of pasta water to add to your skillet of spaghetti puttanesca lends your noodles an inviting sheen and rich texture. But what should you do with the rest of it? While you could use reserved pasta water to add structure and flavor to bread doughs, you might not be much of a baker. In that case, our tip is to use it to prepare better beans.

So what is it about pasta water that makes it such a magic ingredient for cooking beans in? First, it's ready-to-use seasoned water that's packed with flavor; you likely sprinkled some salt in there so your penne could soak it up as it reached the perfect al dente sweet spot. Second, during cooking, the pasta releases its starch into the water, which changes the viscosity of the liquid and lends it a thicker, almost-silky consistency.

Starch is a natural thickener, so when you add a splash of pasta water to your pan of sauce and toss in your tagliatelle, it produces a richer, creamier sauce that clings better to your noodles. Reserving this pasta water to cook beans means that your legumes can benefit from that starchy goodness too. In short, it lends body, flavor, and foundation to bean dishes, like soups, stews, and chilis by kickstarting the creation of a yummy, savory broth. Repurposing your pasta water is also an awesome tip if you're keen on running a kitchen that operates on a zero waste philosophy.

Salted water penetrates dried beans better than unsalted water, which helps them cook more evenly (the salt breaks apart the calcium and magnesium ions in the tough skin, allowing the water to permeate through more freely). This results in beans that have a creamier texture, uniform shape, and softer skin that hasn't split. Some chefs like to cook their beans in kombu seaweed (which has an inherent saltiness) for the same reason.

Kombu is the umami-packed ingredient for more tender and flavorful beans because it imbues cooking water with a savory quality. Using pasta water mimics some of the salty, oceanic character of the kombu, resulting in beans that have a richer taste. Moreover, salt is a pantry-staple whereas kombu is more of a specialist ingredient that you might not have access to. 

Adding baking soda can save you hours when cooking beans too. Simply add a sprinkling to the cooking water, and the alkaline properties of the soda will help break down the beans much faster. Just tread lightly; if you add too much, your beans will taste soapy. If you're wondering if you really need to soak your beans for hours on end before cooking them, the answer is no. However, it will shorten their cooking time considerably.