If you’re going to cover the pasta in sauce anyway, does salting the water really matter?

Yep. Because the pasta itself needs seasoning too.

What’s Actually Happening?

As pasta cooks, it absorbs some of the cooking water—and some of the salt dissolved in that water along with it. That seasons the pasta itself instead of relying on the sauce to do all the work.

And no, the reason for adding salt isn’t to make the water boil faster. The amount of salt normally used for pasta changes the boiling point so little that it doesn’t make a meaningful difference in cooking time.

How Salty Should It Be?

You’ve probably heard that pasta water should be “as salty as the sea.” Don’t take that literally—the ocean is much saltier than you want your pasta water. The goal is simply enough salt to season the noodles while they cook.

Laura’s Tip

Season the pasta, not just the sauce. You can make an amazing sauce, but if the noodles underneath it are completely bland, you’re making the sauce work way too hard.

One more thing: if you’re planning to use some of that starchy pasta water in your sauce, remember that you’re also adding its salt. Taste before you automatically add more.