Why, out of all the 3,974,192 shapes of pasta, does ditilini, and only ditilini, stick to the bottom of the pan??

Peter 

put a spoon of olive oil in the boiling water and it will help avoiding sticking...

Quote from: matbard on October 30, 2026, 10:02:05 AMput a spoon of olive oil in the boiling water and it will help avoiding sticking...

It helps avoid sauce sticking to the pasta is all.  And raises the boiling point of the water.

Peter (who did that until he married into the Dago-American Community and was set straight - quickly!)

Want to keep it from sticking?

1.  Call it by the correct name: ditalini

2.  Stir it occasionally while boiling.

I never tried olive oil, but I do always add salt to the water when I cook pasta.   Been doing this for years.  I always assumed it had to do with boiling temp of water, but upon researching the issue while responding to this thread, I discovered the real purpose of salting the water is to have the pasta absorb the salt and thus improve the flavor.  I also married an Italian girl, but I do all the cooking.   She hates to cook, loves to clean.  Works out great!

Bill, tgo

I'm Italian and I love cooking: I attended a cousine course with a star-awarded chef twice in my glory days... The olive oil trick is common and used mainly with stuffed fresh pasta (ravioli, etc...). Just put a spoon of it, nothing more and stir enough

Quote from: lbpesq on October 30, 2026, 12:20:31 PMWant to keep it from sticking?

1.  Call it by the correct name: ditalini

2.  Stir it occasionally while boiling.

I never tried olive oil, but I do always add salt to the water when I cook pasta.  Been doing this for years.  I always assumed it had to do with boiling temp of water, but upon researching the issue while responding to this thread, I discovered the real purpose of salting the water is to have the pasta absorb the salt and thus improve the flavor.  I also married an Italian girl, but I do all the cooking.  She hates to cook, loves to clean.  Works out great!

Bill, tgo

Yeah, I can never remember how to spell that one, and was too lazy to get up & look (and spellcheck had no idea; gave me things not even close.  Spelled correctly, as below, I get the red squiggle, and suggestions like datalink, dateline, detailing).
And I always stir; with ditalini, I grab a spatula or the flat wooden utensil that came with my old wok & scrape - somewhat more than occasionally.

I usually - but not always - salt the water.

Both of us love to cook & hate to clean, but as Her health has slipped I have picked up on 100% of both.  I'd cook like the old cooking shows (before Food Network went all stupid fake "competition" shows) a lot more often if only I had a crew to clean up after me when I was done!

My roommate immediately before Her had a 100% Sicilian mom, who was apparently somewhat renowned for her culinary skills before she went to cooking school; told me I made the best lasagna she'd ever eaten. 
I married the Italian Girl, told Her about it, and was told "Uh-uh!  I'm not eating that.  That's not Italian, that's [with a slight sneer] Sicilian!"
I have since figured out that "the real Italy" ends about 25 miles south of where ever your family's from (She's Napolitano).

Peter

I'm not half-Sicilian for nothing.

Pasta loves to swim:  Use as much water as you think is enough, then add 1/2 of that more.  It can stick if it can't swim.

It prefers salt water, salt liberally, you'd be surprised how much it takes for it to actually taste salty afterwards.

Depending on your stove, turn it up only high enough to get a good boil, often not wide open on a lot of stoves or the pot you're using.

I always drizzle in just a few drops of oil.  Just a few DROPS.

Stir it every so often.

And after, the best way to keep your drained pasta in the pot from turning into a starch clump?  Stir in a bit of whatever sauce or gravy from your dish.  You could use butter, but you may not want to add that taste, and if you think you need to add a little oil into the drained pasta afterwards, well, just DON'T.  DON'T.

Always use semolina based pasta with no other ingredients.  For grocery store bought, I love DeCecco or Delallo.

Ciao.

Quote from: bigredbass on October 30, 2026, 01:34:05 PMI'm not half-Sicilian for nothing.

Pasta loves to swim:  Use as much water as you think is enough, then add 1/2 of that more.  It can stick if it can't swim.

It prefers salt water, salt liberally, you'd be surprised how much it takes for it to actually taste salty afterwards.

Depending on your stove, turn it up only high enough to get a good boil, often not wide open on a lot of stoves or the pot you're using.

I always drizzle in just a few drops of oil.  Just a few DROPS.

Stir it every so often.

And after, the best way to keep your drained pasta in the pot from turning into a starch clump?  Stir in a bit of whatever sauce or gravy from your dish.  You could use butter, but you may not want to add that taste, and if you think you need to add a little oil into the drained pasta afterwards, well, just DON'T.  DON'T.

Always use semolina based pasta with no other ingredients.  For grocery store bought, I love DeCecco or Delallo.

Ciao.

Grazie.
I do all that except the oil, and less salt than I'd use because She doesn't want to use any (I sneak it in).
And the only thing that bothers me is ditalini, and only ditalini, only in water instead of added to soup, sticking to the bottom of the pot.  I have been told that it's due to the starch release-to-surface area due to ditalini's small size - but it never happens with conchigliette, which about the same size, or orzo, which is smaller.

Peter

pasta I've never heard of, ditalini, thanks I learned something new today...

In addition to his guitar setup skills, Joey could easily write a cookbook. I get at least one Texas recipe a month, free of charge. 😉

De Cecco Italian Pasta since 1831 | Official Site De Cecco United States

How many, what kind of shapes?  Lots ! Click on the PRODUCTS tab and cruise around in there for a while.  Interestingly, DeCecco uses Durham wheat for many products.

Pro Tip:  Going to make chicken noodle soup?  Skip that Pennsylvania stuff and use Italian egg pasta, here either the Egg Pappardelle or Egg Fettucine which hold together far better than American-style egg noodles which can almost turn into dumplings.

Quote from: bigredbass on October 31, 2026, 12:36:22 PMDe Cecco Italian Pasta since 1831 | Official Site De Cecco United States

How many, what kind of shapes?  Lots ! Click on the PRODUCTS tab and cruise around in there for a while.  Interestingly, DeCecco uses Durham wheat for many products.

Pro Tip:  Going to make chicken noodle soup?  Skip that Pennsylvania stuff and use Italian egg pasta, here either the Egg Pappardelle or Egg Fettucine which hold together far better than American-style egg noodles which can almost turn into dumplings.

My Grandma's homemade hillbilly egg noodles (I sure wish I had her recipe!) did, in fact, almost swell up to dumplings - and I loved them!
But as I don't have her recipe, I'll be sure try your suggestion.  Though I haven't had good luck with DeCecco; off taste & gummy every time we've used it.

Peter