The Ultimate Guide: When and How Much to Salt Your Pasta Water
By Mike-Ross
Ever wondered how much salt you should really be using for pasta? Or when exactly you should be adding it to the water—before or after it boils? These questions used to swirl in my head, and like many, I’d just eyeball the salt and toss it in before the water came to a boil. I figured it worked well enough, but I knew some might disagree, so I decided to dig deeper.
According to most sources I found online, the general recommendation is to add about 1 tablespoon of salt for every 1 gallon of water. This ratio is often touted as the standard, but I wanted to know more. That’s when I stumbled upon a video by Adam Ragusea. He breaks down the science behind salting pasta water and tests popular beliefs like “the water should be as salty as the sea” and whether adding salt after the water boils actually matters. His experiments shed light on these questions—check out his video below for a deeper dive!
So, when should you salt your pasta water? The answer is simple: you can add the salt at any point, as long as it’s before you add the pasta. The dissolved salt will flavor the noodles as they cook and swell, ensuring that your pasta is properly seasoned from the inside out. Just make sure your water is at a rolling boil before adding the pasta. You can even taste the water once the salt has dissolved; it should be slightly briny, but not overpowering.
Some believe that adding salt to boiling water makes it hotter, but that’s a bit of a myth. While salting the water does cause it to boil more vigorously, the temperature increase is minimal—only about a single degree, even if you add a lot of salt. But be careful: too much salt can make your pasta inedible, so it’s best to stick to the recommended amount and adjust based on taste.
Image by Adam Ragusea via YouTube
How Much Salt Should You Add To Pasta Water
They say that pasta water should be as salty as the sea, but if you put way too much salt your pasta will become too salty.
Some people with Italian heritage in the comment section claim that making the pasta water “as salty as the sea” is only used when cooking fresh pasta as it cooks quickly compared to dry pasta.
When adding salt, just remember that the pasta will end up being half as salty as the water. Once cooked, taste the pasta. From there, you can adjust the seasoning to taste in the pan with the sauce.
Image by Adam Ragusea via YouTube
When Should You Salt Past Water And How Much:
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