512047 Tue Apr 22 17:46:50 -0700 2008 76 31 Home Cooking 0 3620554 Survey of CHs please: Do you add salt to the water when you cook pasta? I was casually watching a cooking show last month (maybe Giada or R Ray, can't remember who it was ) and she made the off-the-cuff comment of saying she always salts her boiling water for pasta, as the pasta tastes better. Have I been missing the boat all these years? Is this a common thing for tasty pasta? Skipping the low-sodium-in-your-diet talk, how many of you do this? Does it really taste better? And do you still add olive oil? Basic question for many, but I really don't know. Maybe the Bitterman book might have the answer, but I don't have it....so can you all give me your feedback and comments? Tue Apr 22 17:46:50 -0700 2008 176558 anthrochick 1 3620581 Yes to salt, no to olive oil (except v. occasionally for ravioli that tend to stick), and there is possibly one of the most contentious threads on CH on that subject. ;-) I'll try and dig it up for you! Here it is: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/439991 Tue Apr 22 17:55:00 -0700 2008 3620554 10985 MMRuth 1 3620587 Salt, absolutely, lots of it. It's all about flavor, and it makes a big difference. Some will tell you it's to raise the boiling point so the pasta cooks hotter and faster and this somehow helps the texture. While it's technically true that this raises the boiling point EVER so slightly, it's something like a fraction of a degree -- totally insignificant. Oil in the water? Noooooooooo, never never never. All that does is keep your sauce, whatever it may be, away from your pasta. Ideally, you pull the pasta from the water when it's JUST underdone and finish it in the sauce. Either way, you want the pasta to absorb just a bit of the sauce. Makes all the difference in the world. And if your pasta is coated with oil, it doesn't happen. (Doesn't apply, obviously, if your sauce IS oil). Tue Apr 22 17:57:14 -0700 2008 3620554 21787 Dmnkly 2 3621053 Dmnkly, your point is so good. I am saying DUHHH to myself; why didn't I see that before....if the pasta is coated with oil, of course it won't absorb the sauce so well. . Sometimes the obvious has to be said to me before I Get It. I am a better eater of Chowfood than a cooker of it, but this board is helping me be a better cook. Thanks for the help! "lots of salt"...for the cooking-impared, can you be more specific please? Tue Apr 22 20:47:24 -0700 2008 3620587 176558 anthrochick 3 3621381 Definitely yes to salt and no to oil, although I will point out that Alton Brown demonstrated quite nicely (in a very scientific way) that if you add oil to the water, it will simply stay in the water and not coat the pasta (he did a before/after measure). Wed Apr 23 02:52:00 -0700 2008 3621053 124339 bnemes3343 4 3622496 Actually, he did a really lousy job on that demonstration. He did a before and after measure, found that only half a teaspoon was missing, and then airily proclaimed that half a teaspoon wasn't enough to coat the pasta -- which anyone who has ever used spray oils knows is not true: a half a teaspoon of oil can go a looooooong way. Wed Apr 23 10:32:42 -0700 2008 3621381 10159 Ruth Lafler 5 3622800 Agreed He also had a show where he said not to oil the water because it will coat the pasta and keep the sauce from sticking. DT Wed Apr 23 11:35:55 -0700 2008 3622496 11291 Davwud 6 3622883 LOL Wed Apr 23 11:52:12 -0700 2008 3622800 10159 Ruth Lafler 4 3628491 Who is Alton Brown? Fri Apr 25 06:47:37 -0700 2008 3621381 120640 grapes4444 5 3629222 Alton Brown has a great show on the Food Network called GOOD EATS. He gets into the nuts and bolts of making a dish. History of the food item, why it acts the way it does. He also does a few other shows..Iron chef in America and a road trip one. Fri Apr 25 10:09:05 -0700 2008 3628491 176558 anthrochick 3 3626695 3-4 tablespoons for a standard pot of boiling water. I just hold the salt container upside down and let it dump in for a few seconds. You want your pasta water to "taste like the sea." I forgot to salt my pasta water the other night, and it made a definite difference in the final flavor of the pasta. If you stir your pasta while it is cooking you will have no issues with sticking. And you aren't rinsing your pasta after cooking are you? That removes all the starchy goodness. Thu Apr 24 13:26:37 -0700 2008 3621053 75002 Megiac 4 3627030 no, I am not rinsing the pasta post-cooking. That part I got right, LOL! Thu Apr 24 14:34:46 -0700 2008 3626695 176558 anthrochick 3 5112805 The best rule of thumb for pasta water is "as salty as the sea". So after adding about 3 tbl.. of salt taste the water, if it is salty there is too much, if it isn't then you did it just right. As far as oil is concerned, some types of pasta stick, such as tortellini and ravioli, so use about a teaspoon of olive oil. As for other pasta's, as long as you give it a good stir after about 30 secs. in the water you should not have any sticking at all. Good luck and happy cooking!! Sun Oct 18 15:03:44 -0700 2009 3621053 1113478 leiana_thomas 4 5112877 Well, "as salty as the sea" is *a* rule of thumb. not sure if it's the best. firstly, and perhaps most obviously, an awful lot of people have no idea what salt water tastes like (from the sea, or ocean, or whatever you call it). secondly, salt water varies in salinity, depending on where you are. not a very good rule of thumb for those reasons. but yeah, salt your water. why not? better yet. try it both ways and decide for yourself. Sun Oct 18 15:37:43 -0700 2009 5112805 11892 tommy 1 3620602 Yes to salt. No to oil. Tue Apr 22 18:01:08 -0700 2008 3620554 22596 rumgum 1 3620606 What they said: salt - always always oil - never ever Have some water with salt boiling at the moment for our pasta tonight actually. Tue Apr 22 18:02:14 -0700 2008 3620554 16406 ziggylu 1 3620698 salt always and without question or exception oil never Tue Apr 22 18:37:24 -0700 2008 3620554 102095 vvvindaloo 1 3620705 Oh yes - absolutely salt the water you are going to cook the macaroni in. Never add oil! Tue Apr 22 18:39:29 -0700 2008 3620554 75332 Gio 1 3620728 It is really your only opportunity to season your pasta before you put sauce on it, so I am all for salting the water. I have heard of people using lemon juice instead of salt to cut down on sodium, but I can't speak for the results since I have never tried it. If you sauce your pasta heavily, you probably won't notice a difference, or much of one, regardless. As for oil, I have tried oil in the water for things like ravioli, and I really didn't like the results. I don't think it mattered much anyway. Tue Apr 22 18:44:07 -0700 2008 3620554 87837 RGC1982 1 3620733 Yes to salt and no to oil Tue Apr 22 18:44:58 -0700 2008 3620554 162977 sarah galvin 1 3620744 I don't add salt. I don't add oil. Tue Apr 22 18:46:51 -0700 2008 3620554 61350 elkgrovestella 2 3632010 No i don't add salt any more,no oil either,If your blood pressure is high or you retain fluid you have to leave it out. It's fine without it Sat Apr 26 12:15:15 -0700 2008 3620744 187130 ggmom 1 3620774 Oh yes, definitely Salt! I never put oil in the water, the other day was watching Alton Brown and he mentioned (when making ravioli) to add oil to the water for a different reason than sticking.... forgot why... (wasn't paying attention that well.....) haha, anybody seen that episode? Tue Apr 22 19:00:26 -0700 2008 3620554 144949 chefschickie 2 3621042 Shazam, oh my gosh, I have been making pasta wrong for 30 yrs!!! How did I get so wrong?? I am not a great cook, but I never thought that I was so wrong. Somehow I got the idea that one was to put olive oil in the water to keep the pasta from sticking together. And no one ever told me about the salt thing til I heard it on the cooking show. How did I miss this??? THANKS for clueing me in! Now that I know to salt..how much? 1/4 t or so? One of my colleagues is the Food Anthropologist character ( and in real life) on Good Eats...maybe she can find out about the oil in the water. I love his show, but he talks so fast that I can't remember all that he says! Tue Apr 22 20:39:10 -0700 2008 3620774 176558 anthrochick 3 3621061 Yes? ;) The water should end up being as a salty as the ocean. Not sure if that helps. :) Tue Apr 22 20:49:44 -0700 2008 3621042 45940 Shazam 3 3621063 "Somehow I got the idea that one was to put olive oil in the water to keep the pasta from sticking together. And no one ever told me about the salt thing til I heard it on the cooking show. How did I miss this???" Don't feel bad. Lots of people will say to oil it. 'Course, lots of people also put ketchup on their steak :-) "Now that I know to salt..how much? 1/4 t or so?" Oh, gosh, LOTS more. Depends on how much water you're using, of course, but I fill my stockpot halfway -- about two gallons -- and I add about 1/4 C. of sea salt. I'm estimating, but you want a nice, big handful. Tue Apr 22 20:50:38 -0700 2008 3621042 21787 Dmnkly 3 3621071 Yes to salt, no to oil. I have a bag of coarse sea salt in my cupboard that I've taken to using for pasta. I reach in and grab a handful and chuck it in the pot. I didn't start using salt until a few years ago, and I think the improvement is really noticeable. Tue Apr 22 20:53:52 -0700 2008 3621042 64882 Vetter 3 3621096 I use more like 2 t per quart (i'm estimating- usually i toss a medium handful into a very large pot of boiling water). Tue Apr 22 21:07:18 -0700 2008 3621042 102095 vvvindaloo 3 3621377 Lots more salt. It should be like seawater. Wed Apr 23 02:39:59 -0700 2008 3621042 13819 Karl S 2 3624185 The main reason anyone would add oil to pasta water is the reduce the surface tension and reduce the chance of the water from foaming and boiling over. As the oil is lighter than the water - it really can't prevent the pasta from sticking if the pasta stays submerged. As ravioli eventually floats - it is possible any oil may prevent sticking - but the points on the sauce not sticking are also valid. Wed Apr 23 17:59:51 -0700 2008 3620774 186427 BReynolds 3 3624206 I think it was to prevent the foaming etc...... to prevent the fresh made tender raviolis from being ruined.......... could that be it?! haha, should have paid better attention, i knew it! Wed Apr 23 18:09:36 -0700 2008 3624185 144949 chefschickie 1 3621087 Lidia Bastianich says that when boiling a pound of pasta; "put 6 quarts of water in an 8 quart pot and use two tablespoons of salt"... That's about right... Remember that 98% of it goes down the drain when you strain... No oil... The pasta won't stick, and the water won't usually foam over, when you use enough water... Tue Apr 22 21:01:12 -0700 2008 3620554 10783 Mild Bill 2 3623102 I think if the water foams over then it's probably boiling too hard...which isn't necessary imho I turn it up to med-high (6-7) which is plenty (on my stove anyway) for a good boil. Yes to salt(although I'm in the t's not necessary camp), definite NO to oil, especially if you want the pasta to cling to the sauce :) Wed Apr 23 12:44:27 -0700 2008 3621087 138472 maplesugar 1 3621089 I add 2 tsp.(unmeasured) of salt per gallon of water for pasta. No oil, as it prevents the sauce from sticking. Tue Apr 22 21:01:52 -0700 2008 3620554 22220 Kelli2006 1 3621145 I always salt the water before cooking Italian pasta. I salt it liberally. I pour some salt into my hand and dump. The pasta will taste much better with the salt as it cooks, instead of just salting the sauce more. I never add oil. I think it is possible that adding oil might interfere with the union of the pasta and sauce. However, I have heard that in some situations, people add oil to water to help with a covered pot that might otherwise foam over. I don't cover my pasta pot as it cooks. It might apply to a covered pot of beans? Anyway, I don't use oil in my pasta water. Furthermore, I don't rinse the pasta after I cook it. I sauce it immediately. But a person could want to rinse oriental noodles after cooking them, depending on their intended use, especially in a context where you need them cool and to not stick. Use more than a quarter teaspoon salt, most definitely. You could easily use a tablespoon and a half for an entire pound of pasta. I'm assuming you are using enough water, well over 4 quarts. If you use less water, use less salt. Also, it can depend on the sauce you plan upon using. Oh, remember, the water will stop boiling when you add the salt, so wait until it starts boiling again before you add the pasta. Tue Apr 22 21:31:55 -0700 2008 3620554 166172 saltwater 2 3621162 I am getting a real cooking lesson here! glad I asked about the amount of salt...i would have put in waayy too little.. I use my grandma's big stockpot, so I am sure the amounts you all are suggesting would be right. And sea salt is the consensus? Saltwater, you bring up another smallpoint I would have over looked til I was in the midst of cooking....I add the salt AFTER the un-salted water has boiled? You don't add the salt in the beginning? Is there a chemical or culinary reason for this? I just want to cover all the bases here..... Tue Apr 22 21:47:40 -0700 2008 3621145 176558 anthrochick 3 3621175 I don't think there's any reason not to add the salt at the beginning. As no one has explicitly said it, the reason you add salt to pasta water is that pasta absorbs its cooking water -- if the water is salted, the salt is incorporated into the pasta with the water, which is a very different effect than adding salt externally after cooking. Tue Apr 22 21:54:40 -0700 2008 3621162 10159 Ruth Lafler 4 3621189 I've been told that adding salt to the cold water just as you start to heat can cause pitting on some cookware. I don't speak from experience. As to the type of salt, that'll kick off a 300 post thread all its own :-) While I'm not in the "there's no difference between different types of salt" camp, I AM inclined to believe that any subtle differences in flavor due to mineral content are going to be totally lost in a big pot of water. I don't believe for a second that anybody could tell the difference between pasta boiled in table salt, kosher salt and sea salt in a blind tasting. Short answer, unless you're taking iodized salt, it makes no difference. I only mention that I use sea salt because it's generally a coarser grind, so you get less salt per unit volume (thereby requiring you to adjust down if you're using table salt). Tue Apr 22 21:59:56 -0700 2008 3621175 21787 Dmnkly 5 3627204 Speaking from experience, yes, adding the salt and not stirring it can cause pitting--sadly, I have some pits in an All-Clad pot from this. I believe that it's from the salt sitting on the bottom and not dissolving, and I don't believe that it has anything to do with the temperature. What I normally do now is put about a cup of water and a lot of kosher salt (at least two tablespoons) in a measuring cup and stir to dissolve it, then pour it into the pot of water. That way if there's any dregs that don't dissolve I can keep from pouring those in the pot. Thu Apr 24 15:26:13 -0700 2008 3621189 13306 Nettie 3 3621210 I have wondered about this one myself, anthrochick. Traditional cooking instructions for Italian food include the direction to salt the water after boiling, so that is my practice. But I have salted the water before, and of course, it still will boil. Salt does have an effect on how long it will take water to reach a boil. Salted water has a higher (oh! MAN, I just realized why you asked ME, SALTWATER, duh!!! But I am named that way because of my love for taffy), anyway, saltwater boils at a higher temperature than does regular water. This means for cooking that once the water is boiling, the food is going to be cooking at a slightly higher temperature. But, when it comes to getting to a boil, the same volume of saltwater will come to a boil faster than the same volume of fresh, simply because heat can be added faster to salt than it can be added to water, and with the same volume, there is less water, because part of the volume is made up by salt taking up space. At least, that is my guess now that I am thinking about it and trying to recall my distant education. So, why the traditional direction? Huh, I'm not sure about that. Maybe they like how the salt can fizz when it hits the water. Maybe it relates to how the salt dissolves in hot compared to cold water? This is worth thinking about, but I'm up too late. Let's see if tomorrow, someone has a good answer. Tue Apr 22 22:12:57 -0700 2008 3621162 166172 saltwater 4 3621225 "saltwater boils at a higher temperature than does regular water. This means for cooking that once the water is boiling, the food is going to be cooking at a slightly higher temperature." FYI, saltwater, it's VERY slightly -- I believe a fraction of a degree. i.e., fun for physics geeks, but not significant in any way from a cooking standpoint :-) Tue Apr 22 22:23:58 -0700 2008 3621210 21787 Dmnkly 5 3627649 I agree, Dmnkly, that the difference is likely very small, probably too small to measure on a home thermometer. A more noticeable effect would be to simply cover the pot while bringing it to a boil, I'd guess. Then the pot would heat up faster. But geeky me is still pondering about those nucleation sites with dropping in the salt while it is near boiling. (Irrelevant for the purpose of cooking boards). Oh, wait, not quite irrelevant, really. You've all heard about the rare case of superheated water and water gushing up out of a coffee cup if heated in a microwave and then you stir it, right? That is not a myth. It happened to my friend, but with a beaker and a thermometer, not a microwave and coffee cup. Thu Apr 24 18:31:20 -0700 2008 3621225 166172 saltwater 5 3652492 Actually, that's why I've become more consistent about using salt. We moved to a high altitude and I read that it helps speed the pasta along. Still takes longer than the package says, though. :( Sat May 03 03:09:47 -0700 2008 3621225 81468 jjones21 3 3623101 I don't think sea salt is all that important - probably kind of pricey to just dissolve in a gallon of water and you are going to dump most of the water anyway. Normal kosher salt is what I use. . Wed Apr 23 12:44:08 -0700 2008 3621162 176367 grant.cook 3 3624019 I always use Kosher salt, right in the beginning when I put up the water so I won't forget! about 2 palm fulls...... as been said before, the water needs to be as salty as the sea. Wed Apr 23 16:55:47 -0700 2008 3621162 144949 chefschickie 1 3621370 Depends on your taste I think. I personally do not salt anything Wed Apr 23 02:17:17 -0700 2008 3620554 180068 Smileelisa 1 3621376 Absolutely. Salt-less pasta is quite flat-tasting. And you need that salty, starchy pasta cooking water to help expand and reduce the saucing of the pasta. No oil, except perhaps for lasagne sheets. Wed Apr 23 02:38:14 -0700 2008 3620554 13819 Karl S 1 3621441 Oil - No Salt - Yes Have you been missing the boat all these years?? - Most definitely DT Wed Apr 23 04:31:43 -0700 2008 3620554 11291 Davwud 2 3622702 Yes I have been missing the boat all these years, haven't I?! I emailed my cousin, who lived next door to me growing up and had similar food training. She is a much better cook than I am -so I asked her what she did. Guess what..When she makes pasta ( which is not often) , she said she knew to put salt in to make it boil faster from her Italian friends but she didn't do that. She prefered to add olive oil to keep it from not sticking together, then she only uses olive oil and seasonings as a sauce. ( no other type of sauce). So maybe we learned this from our mothers, both of whom are wonderful but older "traditional midwestern" cooks...( midwesterners, please don't take offense at this!). I will have to ask my mother what she does re: this issue. Anyhow, there are 2 of us who missed the boat....but since my cousin does not even like pasta, it only affects me! Thanks for clueing me in!!! Wed Apr 23 11:16:25 -0700 2008 3621441 176558 anthrochick 3 3622974 Don't worry, there's always another boat! Asian noodles are not normally cooked in salted water, for example (as far as I know…) Wed Apr 23 12:13:34 -0700 2008 3622702 149250 DeppityDawg 4 3623043 As white rice in Asia is also not normally cooked with salt either. Then again, ample sodium is usually provided in the condiments added to the starches. Wed Apr 23 12:30:44 -0700 2008 3622974 13819 Karl S 1 3624062 well, I just asked my mother, and she adds oil to the water , so I guess that is where I learned it. Then she said that she really didn't like pasta, so she rarely makes it. But she adds salt to the boiling water for brown rice! Wed Apr 23 17:09:44 -0700 2008 3620554 176558 anthrochick 2 3624226 And whole grains should *not* be boiled with salt added until they are tender. Wed Apr 23 18:17:23 -0700 2008 3624062 13819 Karl S 3 3624557 I did try to tell this to my mother tonight,,,but to no avail. Sometimes you can't teach your mom new tricks. I even told her about this website, and she just ignored my advice. Wed Apr 23 20:36:34 -0700 2008 3624226 176558 anthrochick 1 3624614 Never.. Only a squeeze of lemon Wed Apr 23 20:59:32 -0700 2008 3620554 20921 Tay 1 3625801 I do add salt- no oil. By adding salt as it cooks it absorbs and doesnt taste salty like it would if you just add it after. I have been told that the water should be satly enough to actualy taste salty if you took a sip.I am not sure if others agree, but I do tend to put a lot in. Thu Apr 24 09:54:36 -0700 2008 3620554 158016 cassoulady 1 3627043 Thanks CHs...this has been very enlightning! I will be doing it the right and better-tasting way from now on!! Many thanks. Thu Apr 24 14:37:19 -0700 2008 3620554 176558 anthrochick 1 3628818 Good, smart people on this site. I'm with ya, lots of salt, no oil! People need to learn this it makes a huge difference in taste. Mmmm, I'm getting hungry just thinking of nice salted pasta! I've also heard it should taste salty, like the ocean. Fri Apr 25 08:21:57 -0700 2008 3620554 154483 brh973 2 3629248 Where do ya all think this oil-in-the-water thing got started?? I was at a party last night with several good cooks....they all put oil in the water...except for the English guy, who knew to put salt in to make it boil faster. No one knew about the salt for better taste. The hostess was a foodie too...with a chef brother. I quizzed them, then told them about the answers about this blog. How could so many people be on the "oil' thing? Did it used to be taught this way ? It seems that the only people that I have (unscientifically) met that use the salt method...are Italian-American or English. Puzzling. Fri Apr 25 10:15:53 -0700 2008 3628818 176558 anthrochick 3 3629463 "except for the English guy, who knew to put salt in to make it boil faster" Except, as noted upthread, not even that is true :-) (Unless he's both removing water to compensate for the salt he's adding, and adding a LOT of salt) There's an accurate but not overly-sciency explanation here: http://www.swri.org/10light/water.htm Fri Apr 25 11:00:11 -0700 2008 3629248 21787 Dmnkly 4 3629492 yea, I get what you are saying...and that is another funny thing....of the people who do put salt in..they say it is to make it boil faster (no mentioning of better taste). So they put the salt in, but not for taste! More puzzlement! Fri Apr 25 11:07:08 -0700 2008 3629463 176558 anthrochick 5 3629562 sorry if this wasn't clear from my post, but i definitely add the salt for flavor reasons. i typically wait until the water is boiling, and then toss in a moderate handful (is there such a thing?). it brings out much more flavor and complexity in the pasta, and also provides you with some thick, tasty and starchy water to add to whatever sauce you are preparing, should you wish to. i would venture a guess that the great majority of those who voted 'yes' to salt did so for flavor reasons, even though they didn't state it. Fri Apr 25 11:23:25 -0700 2008 3629492 102095 vvvindaloo 6 3629634 yes, it should be like sea water for taste reasons....i generally use 2 tablespoons per pound, but i have grown used to the salty taste because i live in rome and romans add a lot of salt. i think that when there is more salt in a sauce (if you add pancetta for example) a bit less (1/2 tablespoon less) works. however, i also read somewhere that you should add more salt to an oil-based sauce (as opposed to a sugo) because the salt doesn't attach so well to the oil once the sauce is added to the pasta. i have noticed that extra salt makes a huge difference when i make an oil-based sauce with cherry tomatoes, garlic, and basil - because i like this dish w/o parmigiano. parmigiano (or pecorino) of course adds salt. i think all these things have to be taken into account when deciding upon the precise amount of salt. Fri Apr 25 11:41:00 -0700 2008 3629562 143109 Pappardelle 7 3629724 definitely, Pappardelle. Romans definitely like their food on the salty side, and Italians in general readily accept that pasta water should be plenty salty in order to get the pasta "just right". of course, taking into account such factors as type of sauce and cheese are important for not ending up with a dish that is too salty, overall. Fri Apr 25 12:07:01 -0700 2008 3629634 102095 vvvindaloo 7 3632784 ah, that is interesting cooking information! Thanks for the tip! What do you do when you make a sauce with plum tomatoes? Sat Apr 26 19:10:17 -0700 2008 3629634 176558 anthrochick 8 3632903 i would say around 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons, but i add salt to the sauce when i cook down plums tomatoes into a sauce. when i cook something w/ veggies and olive oil - say asparagus or broccoli - i am more sure to have water on the salty side because the salt doesn't seem to stick as well to the veggies in oil. maybe the key is to add a little pasta water or something to the veggies but i am not sure about that. Sat Apr 26 20:28:11 -0700 2008 3632784 143109 Pappardelle 9 3633022 Adding a tablespoon or two of pasta water is the key to aglio ed oglio. It adds a nice rich component to the dish, and eliminates the need for added salt to the oil. I don't typically saute vegetables for pasta, but I don't see why you couldn't add a little bit of pasta water to an oil-based sauce with vegetables, as well. Sat Apr 26 21:57:09 -0700 2008 3632903 102095 vvvindaloo 6 3632780 Sorry - to clarify, these are people that I verbally spoke with; of those who knew to add salt, they added it to "make it boil faster" not for taste. So the people I spoke with, who cooked frequently - only 1/3 knew to add salt , and this was for faster boiling not taste. I was just adding commments that there are people out here, in non CH-land that like me, were mis-informed. I think the CH on this post have set me straight...lots of salt - for taste! Sat Apr 26 19:08:10 -0700 2008 3629562 176558 anthrochick 7 3634665 You know, you could even do an experiment: put the same amount of water in three pots. Add a couple of tablespoons of salt to one, a couple of teaspoons of salt to another, and no salt to the third. Cook a cup of the same pasta in each pot (noting any differences in the way the water boils and how fast the pasta cooks), and then do a taste test. Sun Apr 27 16:27:57 -0700 2008 3632780 10159 Ruth Lafler 1 3632144 salt = always oil = never Sat Apr 26 13:36:04 -0700 2008 3620554 152198 maxandrick 1 3649805 For my pot a cup of salt. Oil never. Fri May 02 08:23:16 -0700 2008 3620554 174874 Bubbah 1 3650143 Absolutely! I add a few healthy teaspoons of kosher salt it before the pot even hits the burner. Not only does it bring down the boiling point (a fact I learned long ago in Chemistry class), but it's the only way to flavor the pasta, and it makes a HUGE difference. I don't rinse and I don't add oil--all it does is prevent the sauce from adhering to the noodles. I'm willing to put up with a little stickiness to avoid all my sauce slipping to the bottom of the bowl. I suppose that if you were preparing to dress the pasta with a simple olive oil, herb, cheese combo, then oil in the cooking water wouldn't hurt. However, it would seem like a waste since there would be more oil added later. Just my two pennies worth. Fri May 02 09:40:21 -0700 2008 3620554 107574 jrzgyrl 1 3650298 I was taught to cook pasta by my Italian friends' moms, here in the Deep South. The oil is to keep the pasta from sticking together and salt is for pasta that will not have sauce or other salty food added to it. I rinse the pasta in a collander to cool it off...after it is safely removed from the pan. I have a history of having to scrape the pasta out of the pan if I don't put a tablespoon of olive oil into the four quarts of water. There are some questions I have about adding sea salt to recipes. What should I take into consideration when adding sea salt instead of table salt? Fri May 02 10:16:44 -0700 2008 3620554 85527 milkmaid 1 3650986 Yes to salt, no to oil. I've heard a few of the great say that the water should almost taste like the ocean. The boiling process is really the only opportunity to season the pastsa itself, so salt it up, baby :) Fri May 02 12:47:03 -0700 2008 3620554 123660 eastcoastgirl_westcoastlife 2 3651785 In think that the biggest shocker is that Emeril Lagasse always puts oil in his pasta water. Who am I to criticize such a great chef but he is dead wrong. Salt, always. Oil, NEVER. Also for you Food Channnel junkies, Mario Batali also says never to oil. Fri May 02 17:06:26 -0700 2008 3650986 119807 Alfred G 3 4398031 I use oil in my water. I use much less water when I cook my pasta than the mainstream and I never end up with a sticky blob of noodles. After straining they always have just enough starchiness for the sauce. I also temper my water with sauce. Every one loves it. Maybe Emril is on to something here. I say what ever works for you personally is the way to go. Sun Feb 08 08:36:56 -0800 2009 3651785 264579 runnemrand 1 4398170 I add garlic salt or garlic powder & sea salt. Yes to olive oil, one tablespoon. Also add in some dried basil leaves. And I let the pasta sit in the hot water for about 3 minutes after turning off the burner. Soaks up the all that nice flavor of the aromatic water. Don't let the olive oil naysayers mess with your head. Just drain the hot pasta and let it sit in the collander it will dry up enough to let your sauce stick to the pasta just fine. Sun Feb 08 09:48:33 -0800 2009 3620554 141261 crt