ive honestly just been really curious. is it a taste or chemistry thing?
(sorry english isnt my first language ;-;)
In: Chemistry
I’m a chef.
It’s to season the pasta. Nothing to do with a chemical reaction. It’s just about taste.
Many of the pasta dishes that are popular outside of Italy are slathered in a strongly flavored sauce, basically using the pasta as just something to showcase the sauce. However, there are many dishes in which the pasta is given a more prominent role, the pasta is appreciated for its own flavor and texture- often topped with little more than a drizzle of olive oil, some black pepper, or possibly a bit of parmesan or Romano. Unless you are making your own pasta, the opportunities to season pasta are limited to the cooking water. That being said, one doesn’t have to limit the seasoning of the water to merely salt. I’ve added garlic cloves, peppercorns, and sturdy herbs like rosemary or thyme to the cooking water with very yummy results.
its the only opportunity to season pasta properly. Olive Garden doesnt and I can tell the difference.
It’s taste. Foods seasondly properly taste better. During the cooking process, the salt will infuse into the pasta. While salt water’s boiling temperature increases, it doesn’t change that much to make a difference.
I think it’s mostly due to the fact that it will end up making the water hotter once it’s boiling (dissolving things in water, like salt, raises its boiling point).
Taste only, you can try it yourself by cooking non salted pasta and tasting it. It’ll be quite bland compared to the ones cooked with salt. I personally really don’t like pasta cooked without salt, tastes like water.
Latest Answers