The Nobel Prize in Physics suggests cooking pasta with the stove turned off

We have all followed the daily struggles we face with the energy crisis we are going through on a global scale. Just yesterday, the Portuguese government announced a set of measures to support the most vulnerable families, with the aim Responding to the current context of inflation and the rising cost of living.

In terms of energy, the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics, Italian Giorgio Baresi, calls for pasta to be cooked with the stovetop.

Giorgio Baresi: Cooking pasta without the stove ... after boiling water
As the saying goes, "For great evils, great cure."  Giorgio Baresi, Nobel Prize in Physics 2021, He argues that cooking pasta without the stove, after boiling the water, allows for lower energy consumption and, in this way, saves in the face of the current energy crisis.
Parisi details, in a Facebook post, that once the water starts to boil, you can add the pasta and wait for two minutes, then turn off the gas to continue cooking.  The scientist from Sapienza University in Rome calculates that "at least eight minutes of energy consumption" is saved in this way.

The most important thing is to keep the lid on, as a lot of heat is lost through evaporation.  After boiling the pasta, I reduce the amount of gases to a minimum, so that it boils a little without consuming it.  You can also try to turn it off, as suggested in this post, which is not mine, but Alessandro Borisi Vesi, which I simply shared.  Obviously, in this way, less gas is consumed and the pasta is cooked more evenly.


The debate about how to cook pasta without wasting energy is not new, with the Unione Italiana Food Association, which represents pasta manufacturers, argued a few months ago that keeping the lid on the pan during the boiling phase speeds up the cooking process and saves "up to 6% in energy emissions." and carbon dioxide.”
The association explained that extinguishing the fire after two minutes of boiling and leaving the lid working saves energy and carbon dioxide emissions, which can reach 47%.
"With an average consumption of 23.5 kg of pasta per capita, each Italian would save up to 44.6 kWh, 13.2 kg of CO2 emissions and 69 liters of water per year," he explained.