Kitchen Hacks

The Secret Use for Spaghetti Spoons

by:
October 31, 2017
8 Comments

Single use objects are great, but multi use objects are… greater. In the efficiency-driven, convenience-loving culture we currently find ourselves in, tools with more than one use are infinitely more valuable than those with only one. So imagine our surprise, and delight, upon discovering that the spaghetti spoon has a use we did not yet know of?

The spaghetti spoon, that pronged pasta grabbing tool, isn’t just for perfectly fishing spaghetti out of a pot of boiling water. It can also help you measure a single serving of pasta. That hole in the middle of the spoon? It’s actually a pasta gauge!

The internet, obviously, reacted to the realization. People gathered on Twitter to share the news: Some reveled in the newfound hack, while others lamented owning tools that didn’t quite comply:

According to Barilla, the serving size for spaghetti should be a bunch 2 ⅛ inches in circumference. Does this recommendation match up with the size of the hole in your average spaghetti spoon? That, I’m not yet sure about. Whether or not this hack is an exact measurement or a convenient approximation remains to be seen. Regardless, it seems like I could give this one a try.

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Serving size, in general, feels arbitrary to me. I always want enough pasta to feed a hungry group of guests, but, all in all, no measurement, no problem. You can take a little bit of extra pasta a long way if need be. Flex your kitchen muscles a bit and see where you can take your excess. For example, there's what our Test Kitchen Chef Josh calls the spruce up, a foolproof method for giving that leftover pasta a second life. Just a few new ingredients, a reimagined sauce, or even a simple reheat can take that leftover to a whole new place.

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Top Comment:
“Spaghetti spoons have perforations to drain water...various shapes and sizes, not all round, and even the round holes don't help much. What is one serve for a 10 yr old child, 20 yr old woman or man (average exerciser) or same age athlete? Do as others have suggested, go by weight, or eye, and use the leftovers (if any) in a new dish.”
— Nancy
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Do you buy this hack or is it a hoax? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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Valerio Farris

Written by: Valerio Farris

Valerio is a freelance food writer, editor, researcher and cook. He grew up in his parent's Italian restaurants covered in pizza flour and drinking a Shirley Temple a day. Since, he's worked as a cheesemonger in New York City and a paella instructor in Barcelona. He now lives in Berlin, Germany where he's most likely to be found eating shawarma.

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8 Comments

PJL
PJL February 14, 2019
If you are on the short side like me, the best use of a pasta spoon is to use it to retrieve lightweight items from the top shelves in my kitchen!
 
PHIL
PHIL November 3, 2017
The main thing I've learned from this article and the ensuing comments is I eat too much pasta
 
Mary M.
Mary M. November 3, 2017
My niece in Italy says 100 grams of pasta per serving. Works great for any shape of pasta. I’ve used this method for years now — applies to pasta lovers!
 
Nancy
Nancy November 1, 2017
This story is old (summer 2016) and has already been debunked by manufacturers and/or sellers of housewares. Spaghetti spoons have perforations to drain water...various shapes and sizes, not all round, and even the round holes don't help much. What is one serve for a 10 yr old child, 20 yr old woman or man (average exerciser) or same age athlete?
Do as others have suggested, go by weight, or eye, and use the leftovers (if any) in a new dish.
 
BerryBaby
BerryBaby November 1, 2017
That may be the 'recommended' size. I make half a box and it's perfect for dinner and leftovers the next day. Does anyone else love cold spaghetti?
 
dennis
dennis November 1, 2017
It's far easier to do this by weight. A pound of dry pasta is about 450 grams, which yields four good size portions of pasta (I'm a big dude). Just weigh out 110g-115g and you're all set. Adjust weight as necessary for your appetite.
 
foofaraw
foofaraw October 31, 2017
Holding the pasta at an angle like the first photo will yield you less pasta than what the hole intended.
 
PHIL
PHIL October 31, 2017
I need a bigger hole in mine because that isn't one serving for me.