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Myth: Pasta Water Without Salt Boils Faster

Does salt belong in the pasta water? If so, when and how much? There are many myths circulating on the subject. We explain to you what really matters when it comes to salt in pasta water.

Preparing noodles is very easy: Boil water in a pot, put noodles in, cook noodles. But many wonder how much salt is needed and when to add it – right at the beginning in the cold water or as soon as it boils? All in all, the salt in the pasta water can affect three factors: the taste of the pasta, the boiling point of the pasta water and the cooking time. Let’s take a closer look at each factor.

Salt in the pasta water: why the timing is still interesting

Nevertheless, it makes a difference whether you add the salt to the cold or boiling pasta water. Salt dissolves better in hot than in cold water. Therefore, when you add the salt to the cold water, a larger amount that doesn’t immediately dissolve will sink to the bottom of the pot. There the salt causes stains and can damage the pot in the long run.

Tip: Stainless steel pots are much more robust than aluminum pots. Salt doesn’t do much harm to the former.

Pasta water: salt and its effect on cooking time and taste

The Max Planck Institute says: No, salt in the pasta water does not significantly affect the cooking time. So why would you salt the pasta water at all? The answer is: for the taste.

Salt in the pasta water ensures that the pasta retains its flavor. Behind this is a relatively complex physical phenomenon called osmosis. Put simply, you can imagine it like this with pasta water: If the water is completely unsalted, the salt concentration in the pasta is higher than in the pasta water (pasta naturally contain minerals such as sodium). The system wants to compensate for this concentration gradient. This is why minerals from the pasta go into the cooking water. The result: the noodles lose their taste. On the other hand, if you salt the pasta water well, the pasta can even absorb salt.

A matter of taste: How much salt in the pasta water?

You can decide how much salt you add to the pasta water according to your taste. A simple rule of thumb is: ten grams of salt for 100 grams of pasta and one liter of water.

Another tip comes from chef Sami Nosrat (author of the book Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat): salt the water until it tastes like sea water.

Salt in Pasta Water: Does It Affect Nutrient Content?

Unfortunately, the question of whether salt in the pasta water influences the nutrient content of the pasta has not been conclusively answered. Intuitively, the section on osmosis would tell us that salted pasta water is beneficial because less of the material in the pasta migrates into the water. However, the difference may be insignificant or other factors that have not previously been considered play a role.

But with these tips you will have a nutrient-rich meal in any case:
Use whole wheat pasta instead of white flour pasta. The former contain more fiber, minerals and vitamins.
Whether with or without salt: when cooking, water-soluble nutrients are transferred from the pasta to the pasta water. This applies, for example, to B vitamins. You can save part of it by enriching the pasta sauce with the pasta water. The pasta water also contains starch from the pasta, which binds your sauce. And since you salted the pasta water well, it also adds flavor.

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Cooking Tips

9 Common Pasta Mistakes – And How to Avoid Them

Everyone loves pasta. But you can do a lot wrong with this supposedly simple dish. We explain what you should pay attention to if you want to indulge in pasta happiness in a sustainable and enjoyable way.

“Making pasta is also cooking!” Anyone who wholeheartedly agrees with this student motto is not alone: ​​pasta is at the top of many people’s list of favorite foods. But from the purchase to the preparation to the use of leftover pasta, you can do a lot wrong.

If you keep a few things in mind, pasta is not only a delicious dish, but also a healthy and sustainable one. You should avoid these common mistakes:

1. Always choose “normal” spaghetti

Durum wheat semolina pasta is delicious, but if you stick to it, you’re missing out.

2. Mismatching sauce and pasta

Not all noodles are the same – and combining them with the right sauce is a chapter in itself. Because only when both are coordinated can the taste really come into its own. As a rule of thumb, long, thin pasta like spaghetti or linguine are perfect for oil-based or creamy sauces.

Thicker or slightly chunky sauces and pesto combine well with short, thick, textured pastas like rigatoni, fusilli, or penne. The sauce sticks to the windings of the noodles, and ingredients such as pieces of vegetables can be mixed in perfectly – while long noodles quickly sink to the bottom of the plate.

3. Cooking pasta wrong

One would think that cooking pasta is not the fine art of gastronomy. Nevertheless, there is a lot to consider, because common mistakes reduce the enjoyment.

Many hobby cooks use a pan that is too small or too shallow, too little water and too little salt. If you add the salt at the beginning, you prevent the noodles from absorbing it optimally – so it’s better to only add salt when the water is boiling. Another mistake: putting oil in the water. Although it ensures that the pasta does not stick together, it also seals the surface of the pasta and the sauce can no longer be properly absorbed.

If you stir too little during cooking, the noodles will stick together – a wooden spoon is good for short varieties, and a fork is recommended for spaghetti & co. You should also be careful not to exceed the correct cooking time, otherwise it means “arrividerci al dente”.

4. Pour away the pasta water

Pasta water is far too valuable to be thrown down the drain – and has the potential to become a liquid all-purpose product for cooking and baking, for your plants and even for your skin and hair.

5. Quench pasta

Once the noodles are in the colander, the sources of error continue: You shouldn’t quench your perfectly cooked, al dente pasta with cold water – this will wash the starch off the surface and the sauce will no longer stick to the noodles as well.

6. Serve pasta wrong

Now it’s a matter of timing: If the sauce isn’t ready yet and the pasta waits too long in the sieve to be used, it will quickly become sticky. When serving, you should not spread the sauce separately on the pasta, but mix both in the pot beforehand – this is how the elements fuse perfectly.

7. Discard leftover pasta

Most hobby cooks portion pasta by eye. And it is not uncommon for the quantities to be misjudged when the stomach is growling. However, if you have leftover pasta after eating, don’t throw it straight into the trash – it’s a waste of food that really isn’t needed.

You can store a small amount in the fridge for a short time and turn it into a new meal with some freshly cooked pasta. You don’t want to eat any more pasta in the next few days? No problem either: you can freeze pasta without any problems.

8. Buy conventional pasta

The basic noodle consists only of durum wheat and water.

9. Buy pasta in plastic packaging

A mistake that most pasta comes with: it is wrapped in plastic. Anyone who buys pasta currently has few alternatives to avoid this plastic waste.

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