TIL my watery pasta sauce got fixed with oatmeal

I was out of cornstarch, so I threw in some oatmeal and it thickened right up... super cheap too.

3 comments

3 Comments

Actually, that reminds me of a time my gravy was too thin and all I had was stale bread ends. Tore them up, tossed them in, and let it simmer. Ended up with a chunky, rustic gravy that everyone pretended to like. Still beats using wallpaper paste, which my granddad swore by for everything. He'd thicken soup with it if you let him. Kitchen hacks from desperate times stick with you, for better or worse.

the_hannah1mo ago

My aunt in Phoenix always kept instant mashed potato flakes for fixing thin gravy. She learned that from working at a truck stop cafe back in the 90s, and it was her go-to trick. Oatmeal is a smart move because it's basically just fiber that absorbs water. I remember one time I used leftover cooked rice to thicken a soup, and it worked but made it too starchy. Your idea with oatmeal probably blends in better with pasta sauce. It's cool how kitchen fails can lead to new tricks like this.

paigep201mo ago

Ever try cornstarch slurry? Works in a pinch and turned my watery stir-fry sauce around last week.