Food - Drink
Why Using Less Salt In Pasta Water Isn’t Typically A Good Move
By STEPHANIE FRIEDMAN
Salt plays an indispensable role when cooking pasta. When added to the boiling water, salt eats away the noodles' sticky outer layer, preventing the pasta from clumping together.
Salt also flavors the noodles, enhancing the taste of your final dish. If you fear you're adding too much sodium to your diet by salting the water, your worries are unfounded.
For every tablespoon of salt in your boiling water, a pound of pasta will only absorb about a quarter, which amounts to ¾ of a teaspoon for the whole pot of noodles.
Less salt makes your pasta stick together and taste bland. A tablespoon of salt per gallon of water is the right ratio to give your noodles flavor without making them too salty.
If your sauce, protein, or veggies have little to no salt, you can salt your pasta water more, but with salty ingredients like pancetta or anchovies, use a slightly lighter touch.