SEEING-TO-BELIEVE
Head Chef
what can i add to cooked pasta before adding the sauce if i want the pasta to be more savory?
is that a good idea at all in your opinion?
is that a good idea at all in your opinion?
Adding savoriness to pasta before adding the sauce
- Thread starter SEEING-TO-BELIEVE
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jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
I’d suggest making a more savory sauce
Also, always salt your cooking water
Also, always salt your cooking water
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
You could season the water you cook the pasta in or use a seasoned broth.
OP
OP
SEEING-TO-BELIEVE
Head Chef
so does adding oil mixed with msg after straining the pasta is not a good idea?
If you mix oil into your pasta, it won't hold on to the sauce as well. One TV chef described it as making your pasta non-stick.
OP
OP
SEEING-TO-BELIEVE
Head Chef
i see
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
Put some msg in your sauce
Add either some red wine to your sauce or a bit of Asian fish sauce. Either or both will really enhance.
pictonguy
Sous Chef
Nothing, just cook the pasta in salted water. The savory content and element will be in your other ingredients and each noodle has a distinctive taste based on the different sizes and shapes which gives pasta their distinctive taste and altering that with have an effect on the finished dish, it really doesn't make much sense imo.
Jade Emperor
Sous Chef
No, your sauce is where you add flavour. I never cook pasta in salted water because you should reserve some pasta water to add when you blend the sauce and the pasta, so unless you take into account that salty water when making the sauce, you can end up with an overly salty dish. Because I make my own pasta, I add salt to the dough - it’s far more effective than salting the water. Most people suggest salting the water because it boils faster, but water will still boil without it.
Apparently, I repeat apparently 
, the 'usual" rule for the amount of salt added for boiling pasta is 1-100-10, meaning 1 litre of water for every 100 grams of dried pasta and 10 grams of salt. Obviously we don't follow this rule strictly, I just add a couple of pinches in a big pan or one pinch in a small pan
. It depends on the type of pasta and the type of sauce used to season it. If it's a cheesy sauce it will already be very salty so I wouldn't add too much salt to the water.
, the 'usual" rule for the amount of salt added for boiling pasta is 1-100-10, meaning 1 litre of water for every 100 grams of dried pasta and 10 grams of salt. Obviously we don't follow this rule strictly, I just add a couple of pinches in a big pan or one pinch in a small pan. It depends on the type of pasta and the type of sauce used to season it. If it's a cheesy sauce it will already be very salty so I wouldn't add too much salt to the water.
Badjak
Sous Chef
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2010
- Messages
- 883
I don't think water boils faster when you add salt.
Theoretically, it should boil at a higher temperature...
Theoretically, it should boil at a higher temperature...
GaryHyslop
Assistant Cook
Great idea! You can toss the pasta with olive oil, garlic or Parmesan before adding the sauce for extra flavor. A pinch of herbs or red pepper flakes also works well!
According to my late father, (Chemical Engineer) boiling salt water does raise the temperature but it is so tiny as to be negligible insofar as cooking is concerned. Had to look it up but I believe the actual difference is 100℃ to 100.04℃.
I add salt as that is how I was taught eons ago and see no reason to change.
But I do like Jade's answer about making the actual pasta with the salt to salting the water and the sauce. Plus pictonguy's reply in that the moot differences are just that, moot. the shape of the pasta to the sauce is more important, no?
so I think y'all should just keep on doing it the way you learned and like!
You will have your water boil faster with the lid on as against no lid.
Lid collects and returns the steam to the hot water. No lid allows the steam to escape rather than falling back in to help with the job.
Plus lessening the actual amount of water in the pot, which could possibly lead to not being enough water to properly allow your pasta to move about in the water. I use a wide frying pan to boil my pasta, not a deep pot, so levels are important.
It's all just MO
I add salt as that is how I was taught eons ago and see no reason to change.
But I do like Jade's answer about making the actual pasta with the salt to salting the water and the sauce. Plus pictonguy's reply in that the moot differences are just that, moot. the shape of the pasta to the sauce is more important, no?
so I think y'all should just keep on doing it the way you learned and like!
You will have your water boil faster with the lid on as against no lid.
Lid collects and returns the steam to the hot water. No lid allows the steam to escape rather than falling back in to help with the job.
Plus lessening the actual amount of water in the pot, which could possibly lead to not being enough water to properly allow your pasta to move about in the water. I use a wide frying pan to boil my pasta, not a deep pot, so levels are important.
It's all just MO
larry_stewart
Master Chef
I add salt (to taste ) to the water before boiling the pasta, when I remember.
Sometimes, if Im having a basic red sauce on top, I'll toss the drained pasta with a little butter first, then serve it with the sauce on top. That's what they did , way back in the day, when I got the school lunch. I like the subtle tase of butter.
Sometimes, if Im having a basic red sauce on top, I'll toss the drained pasta with a little butter first, then serve it with the sauce on top. That's what they did , way back in the day, when I got the school lunch. I like the subtle tase of butter.
Thanks Larry, that reminds me, as often happens to families that get busier and busier with extra curricular activities, eating could happen at any hour. I would make the pasta, add butter to coat then set it aside. Come time to eat, put some water on to boil, heat the sauce. The water doesn't even have to come to a full boil and you can quick dunk your pasta in to heat up, serve it up, add your sauce - done.
Discovered that when watching a place serving up pasta dishes in the food mall at a large shopping centre. LOL - wonderful trick, cuts off a good 20 minutes towards getting a hot meal on the table. Plus you only need to heat up one serving if that's the way it's needed. One kid goes here, other kid goes there 25 minutes later. Worked for us!
Discovered that when watching a place serving up pasta dishes in the food mall at a large shopping centre. LOL - wonderful trick, cuts off a good 20 minutes towards getting a hot meal on the table. Plus you only need to heat up one serving if that's the way it's needed. One kid goes here, other kid goes there 25 minutes later. Worked for us!
Jade Emperor
Sous Chef
You are all correct! The thing about salted water boiling faster is just an urban myth! Haha, still breathing, still learning.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
always salt my pasta water
first lesson in culinary school : salt
first lesson in culinary school : salt
Jade Emperor
Sous Chef
Absolutely.
Whenever someone asks what my favourite ingredient is, salt is the only answer.
I heard in a video that the reason that pasta is almost never salted when mixing it together is that it makes kneading the dough much harder. That would matter if one is kneading the dough by hand. Probably matters less if the dough is being kneaded by a machine.
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