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That conversation with the line cook about pasta water changed my mind
Had a talk with Marco, this kid who's been on the line for maybe 6 months, about salting pasta water. I always went by the old 'salt until it tastes like the sea' rule. He said that's lazy and you should measure it out based on your sauce's salt level. I argued with him for a solid 5 minutes during the dinner rush. Then I tried his way the next night with a lighter tomato sauce and he was right, the whole dish came together better. Anyone else ever get schooled by someone with way less experience but a better approach?
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abbyg6013d ago
Salt level in the sauce is the missing piece most people skip. Weigh it out once for your go-to sauces and you'll never eyeball it again.
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scott.miles13d ago
Solidarity all the way. That kid Marco was onto something. I used to just dump salt in without thinking too much, figured the pasta water was just for seasoning the noodles themselves. Then a younger cook pointed out I was treating every sauce the same way, and my heavier ragu was coming out too salty because the pasta was already soaked with salt. Now I keep a little digital scale by the stove and do 1.5% salt to water weight for light sauces, bump it down a percent for anything with anchovies or cured meats.
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