That moment I realized I was over salting my pasta water for years

I always dumped a huge handful of salt into my boiling water, thinking more salt meant better flavor, until my buddy who cooks at a diner in Cleveland told me it's only supposed to taste like the sea, not a salt lick. He showed me his trick using a tablespoon measurer and I nearly choked when I saw how little he used. How do you figure out the right salt level without turning dinner into a health risk?

3 comments

3 Comments

wesleyburns23d ago

Wait, your buddy actually measured it out? I used to be the same way, just dumping salt like it was going out of style. Always thought you needed a ton to get that restaurant taste. Then I read this book by Samin Nosrat and she said the same thing - water should taste like the ocean, not a salt factory. Tried her method with a tablespoon per 4 quarts and honestly my pasta tastes better now. Less sodium bloat too. Still feels wrong not to use more but the proof is in the eating.

the_felix23d ago

Gotta disagree with the tablespoon advice. Ive measured it out too and find that 1.5 tablespoons per 4 quarts gives me that perfect seasoned bite without being too salty. The ocean taste thing is fine as a rule but different pasta shapes hold water differently so what works for angel hair wont work for rigatoni.

taylor.phoenix20d ago

Guess I've been running a salt mine in my kitchen all these years.