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QotW - 17.12.17 - Why does cooked pasta rise to the surface?

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katieHaylor (OP)

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QotW - 17.12.17 - Why does cooked pasta rise to the surface?

« on: 18/12/2017 11:35:22 »

Martin asks:

Why, when cooking fresh pasta, does it rise to the surface when ready? As far as I can see, the dough is solid, so I can't see how the density decreases.

What do you think?

« Last Edit: 12/02/2018 10:03:43 by chris »

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chris

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Re: QotW - 17.12.17 - Why does cooked pasta rise to the surface?

« Reply #1 on: 28/12/2017 10:01:13 »

When it cooks, pasta softens and absorbs water. This makes the molecules expand and "open up" to take up more space. I speculate that this will have the effect of reducing the density of the pasta, increasing buoyancy and tendency to float.

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katieHaylor (OP)

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Re: QotW - 17.12.17 - Why does cooked pasta rise to the surface?

« Reply #2 on: 30/01/2018 09:27:19 »

This question has now been answered, and you can listen to it here: https://www.thenakedscientists.com/podcasts/question-week/why-does-fresh-pasta-rise-during-cooking

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