Why Your Pasta Water Should Taste Like the Sea

The rule is simple. Your pasta water should taste like the sea. That means salty. Really salty.

Most people under salt their pasta water. They throw a pinch in and call it done. That is not enough. The pasta absorbs the water as it cooks. If the water is not salty, the pasta will never be seasoned. You cannot fix that after.

The ratio is about a tablespoon of salt per gallon of water. It sounds like a lot. It is not. The pasta will not absorb all of it. Most stays in the water.

Save that water before you drain it. The starchy water is liquid gold for your sauce. It helps the sauce stick to the pasta instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl. A splash of pasta water makes everything better.

Never rinse your pasta. The starch on the surface helps the sauce cling. Rinsing washes it away. Unless you are making cold pasta salad, do not rinse.

Salt the water. Save the water. Do not rinse. Three rules. Follow them.