Just realized I was using salt wrong in my pasta water this whole time

I was at my buddy's place in Lakewood last week and watched him dump a huge handful of salt into his pasta pot after the water was already boiling. I always added salt at the start but he said the timing barely matters as long as you use enough. I looked it up and apparently I was only using like a teaspoon when you really need a tablespoon per gallon. My pasta always came out bland and now I know why. Anyone else find out they been doing a simple kitchen thing wrong for years?

2 comments

2 Comments

jana_ellis951mo ago

Actually you were probably closer to right than you think. A lot of those online chefs use way too much salt and then act like it's the only way. Your pasta absorbs the water and all that sodium ends up in your food. One teaspoon per gallon is totally fine especially if you're adding a salty sauce on top. I've tested it multiple times and the difference is barely noticeable. Plus your blood pressure will thank you in the long run. So dont let your Lakewood buddy gaslight you into oversalting everything.

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reesepatel1mo ago

Wait, is that right about the pasta soaking up salt? I've always been a "salt the water til it tastes like the sea" type of guy because that's what every cooking video tells you. But honestly you make a good point, I remember reading somewhere that most of that salt actually ends up in the spaghetti, not down the drain. I'm gonna try your teaspoon per gallon method next time I make bucatini, because my last batch was borderline inedible from being way too salty even with a light sauce.