The Problem:
Bland, Slippery Noodles Most home cooks boil pasta in plain water and then pour sauce over the top. The result is “slippery” noodles that don’t hold onto the sauce, and pasta that tastes like nothing on the inside. No matter how good your sauce is, if the noodle itself is bland, the dish will fail to impress.
Our Tip:
Salt the Water Like the Sea Your pasta water should be aggressively salted—about 1 to 2 tablespoons per gallon. The water should literally taste like the ocean. This is your only chance to season the pasta itself from the inside out as it absorbs the water. Additionally, never rinse your pasta; that “starchy” water is the “glue” that helps the sauce stick to the noodle.
The Science:
Osmosis and Starch Gelatinization As pasta cooks, the starch granules swell and absorb the surrounding liquid through osmosis. If that liquid is salted, the seasoning is pulled into the very center of the noodle. Furthermore, the salt helps strengthen the gluten structure, giving the pasta that perfect “al dente” (to the tooth) bite instead of a mushy texture.
The Tool:
The 12-Quart Multi-Pot
For big pasta nights, you need a pot that doesn’t lose its boil when you add the noodles. The Cooks Standard 12-Quart Spaghetti Cooker Stainless Steel Stockpot comes with a strainer insert, making it easy to lift the pasta out while saving some of that “liquid gold” starchy water for your sauce.
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