Kitchen rescueRice, pasta and potatoesUsually saveable

How to fix pasta that's stuck together

Toss the pasta with a splash of hot pasta water or a little oil or sauce to loosen it. If it has formed a clump, rinse it briefly under hot water while separating it with a fork.

How you can tell

  • Strands or shapes have clumped together in a block
  • Pieces stick to each other and tear when pulled apart
  • The pasta feels gummy on the outside

Why it happens

Pasta releases starch into the water as it cooks, and the surface of each piece becomes sticky. If the pan is too small or the water not boiling when the pasta goes in, pieces sit together and fuse as the starch sets. Not stirring early on lets them stick together. Leaving drained pasta to sit without any sauce or liquid lets the starch dry and glue it into a clump.

How to fix it

Option 1Loosen with liquid

  1. Add a splash of hot pasta water, or a little olive oil, butter or sauce
  2. Toss well with tongs or a fork to separate the pieces

Option 2Rinse it

  1. For a tight clump, rinse it briefly under hot water
  2. Separate the pieces gently with a fork as you rinse
  3. Toss with sauce straight away, as rinsing washes off the starch that helps sauce stick

Next time

  • Use a large pan with plenty of well-salted boiling water
  • Stir the pasta as soon as it goes in and a few times while it cooks
  • Save a mugful of pasta water before draining
  • Toss drained pasta with the sauce straight away
General kitchen guidance, not food-safety advice. If food may be unsafe, for example undercooked meat or anything left out too long, follow the Food Standards Agency and throw it away if in doubt.