[Missy185]

Can someone please help me understand this question. I cant seem to find an answer that makes sense to me.

If you put olive oil on cooked pasta, it wont stick together. Why is this?

I have always used salt in noodles to prevent sticking but olive oil? Anyone know of an answer that makes sense?

[Borek]

Oil film on the surface isolates pasta from touching itself.

[doc77]

Hi Misty185:

Cooked or wet Pasta is starch that has hydroxyl groups that can hydrogen bond together (stick together)and also hydrogen bond with the water .  Oil is a triglyceride (triester) with long hydrophobic alkyl groups.  The oil on the pasta, coats the pasta and stops the hydroxyl groups of the starch from hydrogen bonding together (sticking together) by making the surface of the pasta coated with oil, hydrophobic.

Best Regards,
Doc77

[Missy185]

thanks alot

That was exactly the answer I was looking for Doc

Its a question my chem teacher asked on a quiz...and I didn't know it then but I am wondering will that be a ? on the final...so at least I can be prepared. Thanks again