Alton Brown’s Pasta Cooking Hack Will Save You Time and Water

Alton Brown is not only one of the biggest stars of the Food Network but a beloved television personality as well. Brown, who has helmed such long-running cooking shows as Good Eats, has also written many bestselling cookbooks and released many popular celebrity recipes. A culinary force to be reckoned with, Brown likes to share cooking tips with his fans and followers in order to simplify their time in the kitchen. One of Alton Brown’s hacks involves preparing the perfect pasta by utilizing a method that allows home chefs to save water as well as time.

What is Alton Brown’s hack for cooking pasta?

Over the years, Brown has written many recipes involving pasta, from cheesy lasagna to light options perfect for the weekday. However, Alton Brown’s best pasta hack is his method for preparing the pasta itself. According to The Kitchn, while traditional pasta preparation involves adding uncooked pasta to heavily salted, boiling water, Brown’s version sidesteps having to wait for the water to boil.

Brown recommends adding dry pasta to a saucepan of salted, cold water, just enough to cover the noodles. Then, bring the water and pasta to a boil, cooking the noodles until al dente. This method of preparing pasta saves you time, since you don’t have to wait until the water boils, and it also saves water, since you can measure out just enough water to cover the noodles when adding them to the saucepan. Once the noodles are cooked, you can add the sauce of your choice and serve it up. 

Brown is well-known for clever cooking hacks

Home cooks who want to save time and perfect their skills in the kitchen can find plenty of other tips from Brown. One of Brown’s baking hacks involves making perfectly fudgy brownies. In his version, Brown recommends pouring brownie batter in a pan and baking it at 300 degrees for 15 minutes. Then, the unfinished brownies should be removed from the oven and left to rest on the counter for 15 minutes. After they have cooled, the brownies can be placed back in the oven and cooked for another 30 minutes, or until delightfully rich and fudgy.

While many chefs add water or milk to their breakfast scrambled eggs, Brown recommends whisking the eggs with a mixture of mayonnaise, harissa or chives, and a splash of water before pouring the mixture in a pan. As Brown notes on his website, making scrambled eggs this way is a time-saving, flavorful way to enjoy this morning classic. 

Where did Alton Brown go to culinary school?

Viewers of all ages know Alton Brown as a culinary master, specializing in reinventing classic recipes and creating quick eats. Brown was born in Los Angeles, Calif., in 1962. He got his start in the entertainment industry, studying film at the University of Georgia. He went on to direct several music videos, including “The One I Love” by the brand R.E.M. Eventually, Brown became frustrated with the quality of cooking shows that he saw on television and decided to strike out on his own. He enrolled in the prestigious New England Culinary Institute and graduated in 1997.

Just two years later, Brown began starring in his own TV show, Good Eats. The show went on to run on the Food Network for 14 seasons. In addition to Good Eats, Brown has appeared on Food Network programs like Cutthroat Kitchen, Feasting on Asphalt, and Iron Chef America. Brown has also released multiple bestselling cookbooks. These days, Brown is known as one of the most lovable chefs on TV, a man who is open about his love of cooking and food.