Why does nobody talk about salting pasta water AFTER it boils

I was on the line at a spot in Charleston and the sous stopped me mid-service because my pasta kept coming out flat and sticky. Turns out I had been dumping salt in at the very start for almost 6 years, thinking it dissolved faster in cold water. He showed me that once it hits a rolling boil, the salt actually stays in the water instead of settling into the pot corners, and my pasta came out seasoned all the way through that same night. I tested it side by side the next morning, two pots, same brand, and the difference was not subtle. What other small timing things did you all learn way too late?

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daniel47410d ago

Isnt this just how everything works though? We get taught some rule early on and never question it, then one day someone shows us a better way and we feel dumb for not figuring it out sooner. Same thing happened to me with sharpening knives, spent years pushing the blade away from me because thats what some guy told me once, then a butcher showed me pulling it toward me and it was night and day. The salt thing makes total sense once you think about it, cold water just sits there and the salt drops to the bottom where it does nothing for the noodles. Timing is everything in a kitchen and most of us learn the hard way.

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