Italian cooks agree: “Adding oil to boiling water to prevent pasta from sticking is useless”
Some people think that oil coats pasta while it is cooking and helps to prevent it from sticking - not so, say the experts.
Italian cuisine has long been one of the world’s most revered. Plenty of people can be won over with a good bowl of pasta, and while it may seem simple to make, Italians have their own set of non‑negotiable rules.
Never break pasta before dropping it into the pot. Never — under any circumstances — add heavy cream to a carbonara. And here’s one more rule many people outside Italy don’t know: Italians never add a splash of oil to the boiling water before cooking pasta.
According to Italian chefs, that habit is completely pointless. Chef Roberta, known on TikTok as ChefRobertaofficial, didn’t hesitate to call it out in a video that’s been making the rounds.
In the clip, she practically curses the idea out of existence:“Adding oil to pasta water is totally useless.”
The oil “does nothing”
The reason is simple — and backed by basic kitchen science. As Chef Roberta explains, it all comes down to what happens when you mix oil and water.
“When you pour oil into the water, it just floats on top. It never touches the pasta, so it doesn’t keep it from sticking. It does nothing.”
Instead, she says, the secret to perfect pasta is far more straightforward:
“All you need is water, salt, and to stir the pasta during the first few minutes.”
@chefrobertaofficial ❌⚠️ NO ACEITE en AGUA de la PASTA! 🇮🇹🍝 🚫 ¿Aceite en el agua de cocción de la pasta? NO sirve para nada. En Italia eso no se hace, y quien lo hace está desperdiciando aceite. El truco para que la pasta no se pegue no es el aceite, sino: ✅ usar suficiente agua, ✅ remover bien, ✅ y ¡respetar los tiempos! 🧠 Si quieres cocinar como en Italia, empieza por eliminar los mitos. 📚 Todas las recetas auténticas están en mi libro y mi canal: 🌍 Descubre mi Universo Italiano → https://chefrobertaofficial.com/universo-italiano/ 📍Y si estás en Costa Rica, ven a probar la verdadera cocina italiana en nuestro restaurante Aroma Roma. ChefRoberta CocinaItaliana AromaRoma ItaliaEnTusManos fyp recetas cocina food
♬ original sound - chefrobertaofficial
Save the oil for later — but not too soon
And if you’re still tempted to drizzle oil on the pasta afterward, she has one more warning:
“If you’re planning to use the pasta with a sauce, the oil ruins everything. The sauce won’t cling to the pasta — it just slides right off.”
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