Shake Up Pasta With This Unorthodox Cocktail Technique

If you're tired of the same old plates of cacio e pepe and penne alla vodka, why not try your pasta shaken, not stirred? Yep, James Bond's preferred martini-making technique can, in fact, be used to prepare some of our favorite pasta dishes too. Joining the ranks of Gigi Hadid's spicy vodka sauce and the viral baked feta recipe, this unique way of preparing and serving pasta has been making the rounds on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. On the apps, users have shared videos of caterers and restaurant workers shaking up saucy servings of noodles in an actual cocktail shaker before presenting them on a plate — or, in some cases, a literal martini glass. And while it is certainly an unorthodox approach, there does seem to be a method behind the madness. 

Though it may seem like a simple task, it's not all too uncommon to run into issues when making pasta with sauce. You may find yourself with clumps of stuck-together macaroni, for example, making it nearly impossible to fully coat each individual piece when mixing. Or, sometimes, no matter how much you mix, your sauce simply refuses to cling to your noodles, leaving you with dry forkfuls of pasta and a puddle of sauce at the bottom of your bowl. Combining your components in a cocktail shaker, however, can essentially eliminate those challenges, all while adding a little theatrical flair to your meal.

This cocktail-inspired culinary trend can help you achieve a restaurant-quality meal — not just in style, but also in substance. The secret is in the shake. You're probably familiar with the concept of shaking up a salad to evenly distribute the dressing; but the rapid force also helps to emulsify the liquids (in that case, say, oil and vinegar), resulting in a smooth dressing that sticks to the veggies.

The same process applies to your pasta sauce. Whether you're working with a creamy dairy-based blend or a zesty tomato topping, you'll want your sauce to reach peak emulsion in order for it to have the right consistency and effortlessly cling to your noodles. Putting in a little elbow grease by vigorously shaking it all together is, indeed, one way to help emulsify your sauce to perfection. It will also ensure that every single bite of pasta is completely coated in the flavorful sauce you worked so hard on.

Of course, there's also the fact that pasta served straight out of a cocktail shaker makes for a crowd-pleasing party trick. It's no wonder the quirky method has been embraced by restaurants such as the Michelin-starred Aroma in Rome and New York City-based eatery The Ruby, which each serves its own version of a stylishly shaken pasta dish. Social media bait it may be, there's no denying the fact that it's a fun approach, and one you can easily embrace at your next dinner party.