The Leftovers Tip Giada De Laurentiis Swears By - Tasting Table

"Giada De Laurentiis is known for her elevated and authentic Italian cooking. Throughout her career, she's become a trusted source for family-friendly dinners and reimagined pasta dishes. Her recipes typically serve about six people, which is great for feeding crowds. But if you have a smaller household, it can lead to a lot of leftovers. The good news is that De Laurentiis swears by day-old pasta. In fact, she believes that it might even be better for you."

""So when the pasta cools, the carbs turn into resistant starch, which is easier to digest. This means you have a lower blood sugar spike and it's better for your gut," said Laurentiis. While Laurentiis herself isn't a doctor - nor is she known to be an enthusiast of popular health foods - her statements about cold pasta do have some merit within the medical community."

"According to University Hospitals, a leading academic medical center and hospital network, the starch molecules in simple carbohydrates like pasta compress after they've been cooked and cooled down. This is an idea also supported by Harvard Health, which backs up Laurentiis' claim that the change in temperature allows the simple starches to be converted into resistant starches. But, while it may be better for blood sugar, the pasta won't necessarily be easier to digest."

Cooking and then cooling pasta converts some digestible starches into resistant starch. Medical sources note that starch molecules compress after cooking and cooling, increasing resistant starch content. Resistant starch resists digestion in the small intestine, travels to the large intestine, and feeds beneficial gut bacteria much like fiber. Slower digestion of resistant starch can reduce post-meal blood sugar spikes and increase satiety. Freshly cooked pasta contains simple starches that are more readily broken down. Although resistant starch may offer glucose-regulating and microbiome benefits, cooled pasta may require more digestive effort and is not necessarily easier to digest.

Read at Tasting Table