Let’s talk spaghetti—and the kind of kitchen standoff that can stir up a full-blown dinner table debate. You boil the pasta, drain it, and then comes the golden moment: do you rinse it or leave it as is?

Why Rinsing Pasta Even Became a Thing

Rinsing pasta isn’t just about cooling it down. It actually removes surface starch that forms during cooking. That sticky film you see when you drain pasta? It’s starch. Some cooks rinse it off to prevent clumping and keep noodles from sticking together like glue.

Especially when you’re making cold pasta salads, rinsing is common practice. Cold water cools the pasta quickly and gives you a clean canvas for tossing in vegetables, vinaigrettes, and proteins.

But for hot dishes? That’s where things get complicated.