Ideal Bite

how about adding a touch of olive oil to the water, putting the lid on it after it reached boiling, and reducing heat to low, low.??

the absolute single MOST ecological thing we each can do (that packs the biggest bang for the buck) is by going vegan. Because for every pound of beef ground up to make spaghetti sauce, 2,500 gallons of water was used to get the ONE pound of meat. that can cook a LOT of spaghettis. so instead of looking for ways to save a little here or a little there, let's be more effective with our efforts. Go Veg, be Green so we can save the planet. http://www.vegsource.com/articles/pimentel_water.htm http://suprememastertv.com/bbs/board.php?bo_table=sos_video&wr_id=109& goto_url=&url= as for the shrimp photo with pasta, please know that consuming seafood has a heavy ecological impact, that is causing havoc on our oceans: http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/nov2006/2006-11-16-03.asp as a healthy and happy alternative, pasta with fresh organic tomatoes/capers and basil is a very delicious and easy alternative, drizzled with good italian olive oil..good for your body and good for the planet. ps. save the 2500 gallons of water from animal farming, and cook the pasta in acqua abondante as the way the italians do it (i live in italy). thanks for listening!

Hooray! I think I'll make pasta tonight and try this out! I ALWAYS hated seeing all that water wasted and how much time it took to heat up! THANKS for this tip!

Okay! LOVE you guys -- but this most recent tip on using less water to boil spaghetti is PROOF that you've run out of ideas! LOL! Why don't you take it one step further? Don't throw out the used spaghetti water -- Drain pasta into the bathtub and use the salted water for bathing! It's probably therapeutic as well as eco-conscious! Rock on! Lynne :-)

This is a good tip, but use the post pasta boiling water to kill the sidewalk weeds, the annoying ones that grow between the cracks on you walkway, drivewaway, or where ever, this way you get rid of a nusaince with out using chemicals and you don't waste your water! (Also if I have to boil a big pot of water, ie for corn, I'll save that water, let it cool, and rinse the walkway for the kids to chalk up some good drawings.)

interesting tip...though slight correction, Harold's last name is spelled McGee, not McGhee.

You can bring the water to a boil, cover and turn the stove OFF leaving the pot on the burner. Pay attention in case the pot boils over--lift the lid a time or two to prevent this. Need to stir a few times. Method also works well with rice. Read tip in The Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyzyn(not sure on the spelling)--Fabulous book.

You should check out Cook's Illustrated's "Best 30-Minute Recipes" - almost all of which use one pot, instead of several, to cook and often have tricks, such as skillet pastas which cook in their sauce with little or no water. All adds up to eco-friendly cooking, and the recipes are great and truly fast, so if you are short on time - I highly recommend it!

I have been doing this forever, it does not make since to use as much water as they say, i really didn't think any one ever did anyway!

Use pasta water to boil bones or vegies and herbs as a soup base. Last night, I blanched some snow peas, scooped them out and added the pasta.