Kitchen

[ID2]

I gave up cooking with sodium 33 years ago. I never salt anything! i wouldn't even know what it tastes like using salt in pasta water! Since I conditioned myself to eat only non salted foods I absolutely HATE the taste of salty things! Yuck! I'm much healthier too! I'm sure I diverted a lot of bad things that could have happened to me in my 60 years.

[Campion]

I never do. Never. There is so much salt in canned tomato products unless you use salt free or fresh.

When I use fresh, I don't add salt until the the end, and then I use a tiny pinch of Celtic grey salt on top only. Way less sodium that way. I never miss it in the pasta. I can even eat the pasta with oil and maybe parsley and no salt. I also make it with mushrooms or parmesan. Both taste salty or are salty on their own.

No salt.

[RedTop]

I am not a big salt person; in most recipes, I only use half the amount called for. The only foods I actually add salt to before eating, is tomatoes and cucumbers. However, to me, salt is necessary when boiling pasta because this is the stage where the pasta will accept the salt. Once pasta has cooked, adding salt to the recipe only seasons the other ingredients in that dish, not the pasta, and I like my pasta cooked in salted water.

[Kay SD]

Don't know if you are a fan of Cook's Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen, but here's what they say about cooking pasta:

There's more to cooking pasta than just boiling water and tossing it in.

DO: remember to salt the pasta water for a properly seasoned dish: 1 tablespoon table salt to 4 quarts water.

DON’T: add oil to the water; it will make the pasta slick and prevent the sauce from sticking.

DO: let a little water cling to the cooked pasta to help the sauce adhere.

DON’T: rinse the cooked pasta; it washes away starch and makes the pasta taste watery.

[Alsee]

I never use salt. We always buy whole wheat pasta and it has enough flavor. Actually we don't use salt at all

[NYCShopper14]

Ennui is right - salt changes the point at which water boils. And the pasta does absorb salt. It doesn't actually do anything to "flavor" but your tongue has receptors that sense salt.

I've never added salt to anything including while I'm cooking and I don't think I'm suffering. To me it's a bit like wearing perfume - you know the person that keeps adding more and more because they don't smell it any more, but we're all choking on it? That's salt in food. Remove it and you'll quickly adapt and not miss it any more. You'll taste flavor more.

[Danielle46]

I'm Italian and eat very healthy. I never put salt in my pasta water. After its cooked and you put sauce on it, you can sprinkle some grated cheese and that will add some salty taste. You certainly don't need to add to the water too!!!!