whenever i watch a cooking show they tell me to season the pasta while its boiling in the water but never explain why.
2006-08-27 07:41:54 · 11 answers · asked by guitar_lady81 4 in Food & Drink ➔ Cooking & Recipes
As others have said, it's because the whole point of cooking pasta is for it to absorb water, and it absorbs anything in the water right along with it. Anything you put on it after it cooks, like a sauce, flavors the whole dish, but it doesn't get absorbed into the pasta.
There's also some bad advice being given here: if you add salt to the water before the water is boiling, it can pit your stainless steel pots (because it won't dissolve well, and undissolved salt pits stainless steel). And adding oil to the pasta water does NOT keep the pasta from sticking. The oil just floats on the top of surface of the water and has absolutely no effect on the cooking pasta--other than getting some on it as you remove it from the pot, but that's not better than just tossing it with oil after it's cooked. The only way to keep pasta from sticking is to cook it in plenty of water so that the starches from the pasta aren't too concentrated in the water, and to keep the water at a rolling boil so that the pasta stays moving (stirring some also helps in the same way, although not strictly necessary).
One pound of pasta should cook in 4 qts water with 1 tablespoon salt.
2006-08-27 08:23:24 · answer #1 · answered by EQ 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
B.S. Put salt in the water before it boils will bring the water to a boil faster, always use salt to season pasta unless you need it to be salt free. These are the only facts you need related to your question.
2006-08-27 07:56:39 · answer #2 · answered by Ask the Chef 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The salt dissapates in the boiling water and the pasta soaks it up. Oil in the pot is to stop it sticking together, although most italian chefs won't do this as it makes the pasta slippery and prevents sauce from sticking to it...
2006-08-27 07:58:30 · answer #3 · answered by Opera 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The pasta soaks up the seasoning better while it's in water.
2006-08-27 07:45:05 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
As the pasta softens it absorbs the flavoring you add to the water. I usually put McCormick's salt or garlic salt in mine. It adds a great flavor to the pasta
2006-08-27 07:58:01 · answer #5 · answered by cintumas 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
And it is NOT the only way to season your pasta. Once drained, you can toss it in garlic butter with spices added (basil, crushed rosemary, etc), and serve as a side dish with a sprinkling of dried parmesan, or with sauce as a main dish. My grandchildren fight over my pasta done this way.
2006-08-27 07:57:53 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
luckistrike is correct, I have thought of boiling along with spinach, I've seen spiach pasta at the grocery.
2006-08-27 07:53:38 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it's the only time you get to season the pasta.
2006-08-27 08:56:44 · answer #8 · answered by bettyboop 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i boil the water and add salt to the water
2006-08-27 08:54:46 · answer #9 · answered by -------- 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you can do that after you take it from the water. just shake it around real good
2006-08-28 10:49:30 · answer #10 · answered by Billy T 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋