A recipe for boiling water seems like the setup of a joke. There’s really not anything to it, right? Actually, says Joshua McFadden, author of the new cookbook Six Seasons of Pasta, there’s an art to it, especially when it comes to boiling water for a pasta recipe.
Joshua McFadden, chef and author of three cookbooks, including Six Seasons of Pasta and Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables
Why Boiling Water the Right Way Matters
“The easiest way to get a transcendent bowl of pasta is to control as many variables as you can,” says McFadden. And when it comes to cooking the noodles, the ratio of salt to water is clutch, for a couple of reasons. First, the noodles are seasoned by the cooking liquid. They absorb a small amount of the salt as they cook, making for a much tastier noodle.
Second, for many pasta recipes, especially those in Six Seasons of Pasta, the cooking water becomes an important ingredient in the sauce. You reserve a cup or so of water before draining the pasta, combine the pasta and the sauce (which has probably been bubbling away on a nearby burner), and add some pasta water to the mixture. The liquid loosens up the sauce and adds starch (that the pasta sheds as it cooks), which helps the sauce cling to the noodles. Thanks to that salt, the cooking water also adds flavor. Too much or too little salt makes for a less-than-sublime finished dish.
Reserve and save pasta water to add flavor and body to soups. Use it instead of a portion of the broth, or follow a recipe like this one.
Be Specific With the Salt
Many pasta recipes direct cooks to salt the cooking water “generously,” but McFadden calls for a particular amount for a reason. “The word ‘generously’ means something different to everyone,” he says. “The specificity ensures that salting becomes second nature. This is particularly important when the starchy, salty liquid becomes a component of your sauce. If you have it correct from the beginning, you won’t have to mess around to find a way to fix it later.”
As for what type of salt to use, like many chefs and other culinary pros, McFadden prefers kosher salt, and Diamond Crystal in particular. Because the flakes are lighter and airier, it’s actually less salty by volume than Morton’s kosher salt. If all you can find is Morton’s, use about half as much as McFadden’s technique calls for.
How to Boil Water
Without further ado, here’s the method: Start by filling a six-quart or larger pot with a gallon of water (that’s 4 quarts or 16 cups). Add a quarter cup of Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 2 1/2 tablespoons of Morton’s), and bring the water to a boil. Truthfully, it doesn’t matter if you salt the water at the beginning or right before adding the pasta, McFadden explains. Just be consistent, so you don’t forget entirely or accidentally salt twice. “Add the noodles, slap on the lid, and then, once the rolling boil resumes, remove the lid so you can monitor the progress of your pasta more easily,” he says.
Finally, if you’re tempted to add olive oil to the water, resist the urge. As McFadden says in Six Seasons of Pasta, “A coating of oil on the pasta will make it difficult for the sauce to cling to the noodle.” All you need in that pasta water is salt, and preferably just the right amount.
Dining and Cooking