Kitchen

[Tootie15]

I always salt my water first before I add the pasta ... notice a difference in taste if I don't .... all a matter of preference!

[Nikalette]

According to Chris, the pasta expert on chopped, yes. For the flavor. Also, your body does need some salt for cardiac function and fluid balance. The main thing is to avoid adding too much salt and avoid very salty foods, like chips, fast food and canned soup. I have high blood pressure controlled by meds, and don't avoid salt in preparing foods. I can't imagine absence of all salt in cooking. Also, you don't want to get hyponatremic (low blood sodium)

[Nikalette]

That is the correct way to cook pasta!

On 7/2/2014 Tootie15 said:

I always salt my water first before I add the pasta ... notice a difference in taste if I don't .... all a matter of preference!

[ivey]

I've seen several celebrity chefs on Food Network, who work in Italian settings with lots of pasta, say to add plenty of salt to the cooking water.

I personally don't because I know there will be salt in whatever I'm making to cover the noodles/macaroni. And I have to watch salt.

[Clover29]

On 7/2/2014 Tootie15 said:

I always salt my water first before I add the pasta ... notice a difference in taste if I don't .... all a matter of preference!

There is indeed a difference in taste. "Whoah, that tastes salty", is my viewpoint. All those celebrity chefs use far too much salt for my personal taste. But everyone's mileage varies.

Also, I think smokers have diminished taste buds and add more salt to compensate.

[sidsmom]

On 7/2/2014 Nikalette said:Also, your body does need some salt for cardiac function and fluid balance. ........Also, you don't want to get hyponatremic (low blood sodium)

Rare, RARE, we should be worried about not getting enough sodium. The daily requirement is 2,000 mg or less....to illustrate, it's roughly a TEASPOON of table salt....and that's including all naturally occurring sodium in fruit/veg/starches, etc. Adding salt to food while cooking just 'deadens' the immediate taste. That's why is good to not salt during cooking. Only after the dish is plated, then add any seasoning.

[Nikalette]

I don't smoke. I am more likely to take the opinion of the chefs on Chopped who each have several successful restaurants. I am not a big salt user, but the correct way to cook pasta is to add the salt before cooking. Not gallons of salt. But pasta is pretty bland.

On 7/2/2014 Clover29 said:

On 7/2/2014 Tootie15 said:

I always salt my water first before I add the pasta ... notice a difference in taste if I don't .... all a matter of preference!

There is indeed a difference in taste. "Whoah, that tastes salty", is my viewpoint. All those celebrity chefs use far too much salt for my personal taste. But everyone's mileage varies.

Also, I think smokers have diminished taste buds and add more salt to compensate.

[Nikalette]

Does Tootie smoke?

On 7/2/2014 Clover29 said:

On 7/2/2014 Tootie15 said:

I always salt my water first before I add the pasta ... notice a difference in taste if I don't .... all a matter of preference!

There is indeed a difference in taste. "Whoah, that tastes salty", is my viewpoint. All those celebrity chefs use far too much salt for my personal taste. But everyone's mileage varies.

Also, I think smokers have diminished taste buds and add more salt to compensate.

[Nikalette]

You could add less salt to the sauce. I can taste the difference between the taste of the noodles and the sauce. I definitely want a bit of salt flavor in both the pasta and the sauce.

On 7/2/2014 ivey said:

I've seen several celebrity chefs on Food Network, who work in Italian settings with lots of pasta, say to add plenty of salt to the cooking water.

I personally don't because I know there will be salt in whatever I'm making to cover the noodles/macaroni. And I have to watch salt.

[aprilskies]

I use to salt my water. It adds flavor and makes the water boil faster but stopped adding salt to my water a couple of years ago. I do not notice the difference, maybe cause I am use to it. I dont know. I put enough flavoring in the sauce so.... I am trying to cut back on my salt use so this was a easy one for me.