Does Salting Pasta Water Matter?
Verdict: yes — clearly. Salted-water pasta is seasoned all the way through; unsalted tastes flat even with a salted sauce.
The test
Same pasta, same brand, same cook time. One pot heavily salted (~1 tbsp/L), one with no salt. Tasted plain and with an identical sauce.
Result
The unsalted pasta tasted noticeably bland on its own and still slightly flat under sauce. The salted batch was seasoned throughout.
§ 01 — The Question
What we asked.
Does salting pasta water actually matter?
§ 02 — The Method
How we tested it.
Cooked identical pasta in heavily salted vs unsalted water; tasted plain and sauced.
§ 03 — The Results
What we found.
Unsalted tasted bland on its own and slightly flat under sauce; salted was seasoned throughout.
§ 04 — The Verdict
The call.
Yes — salt the water generously (~1 tbsp/L).
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Questions about this test
2 questions · answeredAbout 1 tablespoon per litre of water.