Does Adding Pasta Water to a Sauce Really Make a Difference?

from Serious Eats, written by Daniel Gritzer

Most pasta aficionados will tell you that the best way to do it is by finishing cooking the nearly-done pasta on the heat in its sauce with a little of the pasta-cooking water. According to that line of thinking, the starchy pasta water helps to bind and thicken the sauce, and in some cases—such as buttery or oily sauces—emulsifies it into a creamy, non-greasy coating.... (Click to read the entire article...)