Alton Brown Typically Drains His Pasta By Hand. Here's Why

If there's one word to describe Alton Brown, it's eccentric. After all, he's used a brick as a meat tenderizer and fried steak in mayonnaise. Having said that, the self-described foodist does have some simpler tricks up his sleeve, such as draining pasta by hand using a set of tongs. Why? He hates washing colanders.

This technique, illustrated in a TikTok video where Brown is preparing carbonara, is fast and effective. He simply uses his tongs to grab a bunch of al dente spaghetti from the water, holds it aloft to drain some of the liquid off, and dumps it straight into the skillet beside it, which is full of crumbled sausage meat. While the TV personality has to repeat this process several times until he's removed all the noodles, it means he gets away with not having to wash a colander.

The other benefit of draining pasta by hand is that it makes cooking faster; the entire stage of taking a pot over to the sink to drain is eliminated. Plus, the tongs can be used to swirl the pasta around as it cooks to avoid the strands from sticking together. Now, this tip works magnificently for noodles of a long length, such as fettuccine or pappardelle; however, it won't work for smaller pasta shapes, like fusilli or bow tie pasta. In this case, you'd be better off employing a large slotted spoon if you want to skip using a bulky colander.

Alton Brown's tong technique is useful if you're in a rush. However, you can also use other utensils, such as a mesh or spider strainer, chinois, or a slotted spoon if you want to strain pasta without a colander. One of the simplest ways to strain noodles without a utensil is to cover the pot almost completely with a pan lid, leaving a small gap at one side, and carefully pour the water out into the sink through the opening. You'll need to clamp your hands on either side of the lid (using mitts or a cloth) and do this gently to avoid it slipping off.

Whatever you do, don't make the mistake of forgetting to scoop out a cup of water from the pan before draining your pasta and setting it aside to add to your sauce later. Just one of Alton Brown's 10 tips for cooking pasta, this move will lend your finished dish a satisfying body and give it a glossy sheen. As pasta water is full of starch, it will naturally thicken and emulsify your sauce, helping it to bind together and cling to the noodles better. Another big mistake you might be making when draining pasta is leaving it to sit in the strainer too long. Do this, and your noodles will stick together in a clump.