If you cook pasta regularly, you have probably looked at the odd, round hole in the center of your pasta spoon (often called a pasta server or spaghetti fork) and assumed it was just there for decoration. Or perhaps you thought it was simply to let water drain out as you lifted the noodles from the pot.
While it does help with draining, that little hole has a highly specific, cleverly designed purpose: It is a built-in portion control tool.
Here is the secret behind the hole in your pasta spoon and how to use it.
The Secret: It Measures One Serving of Spaghetti
The hole in the center of a traditional pasta spoon is exactly the right diameter to measure one standard serving of long, dry pasta (like spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, or bucatini).
If you have ever boiled spaghetti, you know the eternal struggle: How much do I cook for two people? Three people? It is nearly impossible to eyeball it, and it almost always results in making way too much or hilariously too little.
How to Use It
Next time you pull out your pasta spoon, flip it over and look at the hole.
-
Take a handful of dry, uncooked spaghetti.
-
Try to fit the dry strands through the hole in the spoon.
-
The diameter of that hole holds exactly one portion (about 2 ounces or 57 grams) of dry spaghetti.
If the bundle of pasta fits snugly through the hole without falling out, you are holding the perfect amount for one average adult serving. Need to cook for four people? Fill the hole four times.
Other Clever Uses for the Hole
While the portion-control trick is the primary “secret” reason for the hole’s specific size, it has a couple of other very handy functions:
-
Better Draining: The hole allows water to rush through the center of the spoon, preventing a vacuum from forming and allowing the water to drain away from the noodles faster and more efficiently.
-
Stirring and Separating: When you stir pasta in boiling water, the water passes through the center hole, helping to agitate the water and prevent the long noodles from clumping together.
So, the next time someone in your kitchen asks why that spoon has a hole in it, you can impress them by accurately measuring out the spaghetti for dinner!