Is Eating Dry Pasta Straight from the Box Dangerous? Reddit's Favorite Debate, Answered by Experts

If you’ve got some extra time on hand, making homemade pasta from scratch is one of the most rewarding cooking projects around, up there with baking sourdough bread or making a long-simmering Bolognese. Whether you like to use a pasta maker to make fresh spaghetti, fettuccine, or tagliatelle or roll out ravioli dough by hand, you might have wondered what would happen if you sneak a taste of some raw pasta.

To find out everything you need to know about eating raw pasta, including fresh and dried, we talked to Anar Allidina, M.P.H., R.D., C.D.E. and Stephanie Crabtree, M.S., R.D. Here, they share the safety risks and other concerns with eating raw pasta, plus the best way to cook your noodles.

Is it Safe to Eat Uncooked Pasta?

Technically, you can eat raw pasta, but both experts we consulted agreed that it’s not a great idea. Raw pasta won’t taste very good, and it won’t make you feel great, either. “Pasta is a food that is designed to be cooked,” Crabtree says. “Cooking improves taste, texture, and digestibility, plus it’s the safest way to eat it. The biggest concern is digestibility. Our bodies struggle to break down the dense starches that would cause bloating or stomach issues after eating.”

Eating raw pasta can cause digestive issues and make you uncomfortable, but in more serious situations, it can also be a food safety risk. Eating fresh homemade pasta raw is especially risky. That’s because fresh pasta is typically made with raw eggs, so it can pose a higher risk of foodborne illness if eaten raw than dried pasta that you’d buy in a box from the store.

“Fresh pasta could potentially pose a higher risk since it often contains raw eggs, which could carry salmonella,” Crabtree says. “Dried pasta is shelf-stable and usually egg-free, making it safer from a food safety perspective—but still a challenge for your digestive system when eaten raw.”

With that in mind, it’s safest to cook fresh pasta—whether fresh or dried—before eating.

What Happens if You Eat Raw Pasta?

Just because you can eat uncooked pasta doesn’t mean that you should. Pasta is meant to be cooked—the boiling water gelatinizes the starches in the noodles, making it easier for the body to digest and absorb them. If you eat a significant amount of raw pasta, you can expect some discomfort.

“Raw pasta is very difficult to digest,” Allidina says. “It hasn’t undergone gelatinization (the process where starches absorb water and swell during cooking), so your digestive enzymes can’t easily break it down. This can lead to bloating, gas, and discomfort. Cooked pasta is much easier to digest, as the heat has altered the starch structure to make it more accessible for enzymes.”

Does Eating Pasta Raw Impact its Nutritional Value?

If the potential stomach pain isn’t enough to scare you off eating raw pasta, keep in mind that pasta generally isn’t as nutritious when eaten raw. The process of cooking pasta increases the bioavailability of nutrients including carbohydrates and minerals; eating pasta raw, meanwhile, reduces nutrient absorption and makes it harder for your body to access those nutrients.

“Raw pasta’s nutrients are technically still present, but they’re less bioavailable because your body can’t access them efficiently,” Allidina says. “Cooking pasta helps release some nutrients, especially B vitamins in fortified flours, and allows your body to absorb carbohydrates and protein more easily.”

How to Cook Pasta

Now that you know you should avoid eating raw pasta, you might be wondering about the best way to cook pasta. Al dente, which means “to the tooth” in Italian, is often regarded as the ideal way to cook pasta. Cooking pasta just a few minutes less than what’s indicated on the package can result in better taste and texture, with noodles that retain their flavor and shape, easily adhering to your favorite pasta sauce.

But did you know al dente pasta can also be a healthier option? Allidina shares a few reasons why al dente pasta is a smart choice, especially for blood sugar balance and digestion:

• Al dente pasta has a lower glycemic index than overcooked pasta, which is great if you are watching your blood sugar.
• Because al dente pasta is firmer and less broken down, it takes longer to digest and results in a slower, steadier release of glucose. This is great for blood sugar balance, especially for those with insulin resistance or prediabetes.
• Al dente pasta avoids the spike-and-crash that can come from quick-digesting carbs.
• The firm bite of al dente pasta helps you chew more thoroughly, which improves satiety and helps you feel full with less pasta.
  

To cook pasta al dente, Allidina recommends boiling it for 1 to 2 minutes less than the package instructions suggest, then testing a piece—it should be tender but with a slight bite in the center.