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The next question may be how thin is your sauce? Our sauce doesn't run, it is packed w/beef and pork so thick you can eat it w/chop sticks.
Really, how much time do we really need to "think" about pasta anyway? It's just there as a filler so you don't eat so much meat.
I am getting off subject here, but the main question is "why" does oil keep it from boiling over? It is due to the fact that oil is lighter than water, so it floats. It covers the surface and keeps starch from reacting w/air to form "bubbles" and also helps maintain the surface of water/air cooling reaction and from reacting with the nitrogen in the air..........blah blah blah......if you believe that horse shtuff then I have a bridge to sell ya.
My answer is..........."because"........or maybe has to do w/a moon phase or something.
Yeah, I thought about posting this on the science forum just to avoid the wonderful debate I knew I'd cause (oh how useful and useless google is sometimes).
I never have a problem with pasta sticking when I use a splash of oil. I usually have a problem if I don't. I've never had a problem with the sauce sticking either.
Oh, and Im a 21 year old college student. All you cooking afficionados can enjoy your discussion on taboo v. not taboo, useful v. not. I just wanted to know the science behind it, because it interested me.
To answer the actual question, rather than go on about whether or not you should put oil in your pasta, which you didn't ask.
The boiling point of water is 100 oC. The boiling point of oil is much much higher. In the case of certain oils as high as 270 oC and then it isn't exactly a boiling point as in boiling over, it's called a smoking point - the point where the oil starts to break down.
So, if you add oil to water, the boiling point of the contents of that pan have now been altered (increased) and the water will no longer boil over at 100 oC.
It alters the surface tension, to prevent the surface from bubbling or foaming. A few drops of oil for a whole pot of pasta is all that is necessary to achieve this effect.
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