Every day, liters of pasta cooking water end up down the drain. Yet, this cloudy water, which we often think is useless, is actually a little marvel with multiple uses . Rich in starch, slightly salty, and full of unexpected properties, it can be cleverly recycled at home, in the kitchen as well as in the garden.
Here are 7 simple, economical and surprising tips to never waste pasta cooking water again.
1. 
The secret to ultra-creamy Italian sauces
It’s a well-known trick among Italian chefs:
Pasta cooking water is perfect for thickening a sauce .
Thanks to its starch content, it makes sauces:
- Creamier
- Brighter
- Better suited to pasta
Add a ladleful of pasta water to your tomato sauce, pesto, or carbonara just before mixing it with the pasta. Guaranteed results!
2. 
How to make smoother purees and soups
Replace the water or milk with pasta cooking water to:
- A smoother puree
- Thicker soups
- A rounder taste
Tip: be careful with salt, especially if the water was very salty.
3. 
A natural fertilizer for your plants
Once cooled, pasta cooking water becomes an excellent natural fertilizer , especially for:
- Houseplants
- Garden vegetables
- Aromatic herbs
Starch feeds soil microorganisms and stimulates plant growth.
Use it cold and preferably unsalted .
4. 
A surprising natural cleaner
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