Add Garlic To Your Pasta Water For More Flavorful Noodles

If you're like us, you're always looking for new ways to consume garlic. The allium is one of the most enriching, versatile ingredients out there, offering pungency in its raw form and buttery richness when cooked, meaning there is no shortage of fabulous incorporations and preparations. One often associates pasta dishes with garlic, but there's an upgrade that can offer your pasta the benefits of garlic in a decidedly atypical way. Next time you're cooking a batch, try adding garlic to your pasta water for more flavorful noodles.

You may choose to do this for any number of reasons. Dry pasta noodles are relatively tasteless, with just a shy suggestion of a yeasty, savory flavor. Fresh pasta may be a little richer, given this preparation often includes eggs whereas the dry version does not. The classic technique of boiling pasta noodles in salt water is an example of why this trick will add a subtle touch of garlic's umami and bite to any bowl of spaghetti or bucatini. Start by peeling a few cloves of garlic and adding them to your water. Once you try out a batch with just a few, peeled, intact cloves, you can begin playing around with more assertive incorporations. For example, adding a garlic clove that's cut in half and lightly mashed may impart a more noticeable flavor.

Once you've settled on the right amount of garlic and the most effective way to imbue the noodles with that allium flavor, you can begin selecting what kind of meal to build upon this base. Doubling down for maximum impact is a good starting point, so try out some garlic noodles in this recipe for spaghetti aglio e olio with Calabrian breadcrumbs. It should come as no surprise that garlic pairs perfectly with tomato, balancing out its acidity and fruit qualities with its richness, especially when roasted. So you can also try boiling some garlicky noodles to go with this tomato and zucchini vegan pasta dish, or add them to this roasted tomato chipotle cream tagliatelle dish.

There are too many opportunities to incorporate these extra-savory pasta noodles to possibly name, so take a look at this roundup of great pasta dishes to cook now or bust out a classic family recipe and get to boiling. If you find you're onto something with this preparation, there's nothing stopping you from adding other alliums like onions and leeks to your pasta water to keep your garlic company.