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/ck/ - Food & Cooking

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5464689 No.5464689 [Reply] [Original]

Why should I put pasta in boiled water and not in warm/cold water (even if I want to make a pasta salad) ?
How much salt should I put in the water, and why ?

>> No.5464699
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5464699

>>5464689
Because time.

A pinch. Because flavor.

Faggot :)

>> No.5464698

salt makes the pasta taste good

pasta contains starch, which needs to be cooked until gelatinised, in order to taste good

the water hydrates the starch and the heat gelatinises it. you can soak the pasta in cold water and it will hydrate but it will still need to be cooked afterwards, it's possible to do that by other means than boiling in water though.

>> No.5464707

Thanks everyone.

>> No.5464772

>>5464689
>How much salt should I put in the water, and why ?

Salty like the ocean. Because its the only way you will get any seasoning into the pasta

>> No.5464866

You'd have to use a fuckton of salt to make the pasta taste any different. I use it for nucleation when the water starts to boil.

>> No.5464873

>>5464866

that's dumb as fuck

but yeah using a fuckton of salt is generally the way it's done

salting the dough is less wasteful

>> No.5464874

>>5464772
Don't listen to these twats.
The only reason celebrety chefs say add salt and oil is to sell their products. They're cheap fucks selling mugs and t-shirts.

The seasoning belongs in the finished product, salt and oil doesn't help the process, espcially since salt is added to the fucking pasta when it's created in the first place.

As I wrote, these people are idiots.

>> No.5464877

>>5464874

who said anything about celebrity chefs dude

>> No.5464911

>>5464874
Wait, do celebrity endorsed salt brands exist?

>> No.5465137

I do 10-15g salt per litre of water. That tastes about right to me.

>> No.5465205

>>5464689

Personally I add pasta in cold water and then bring that to a boil, unless I have to wilt strands, like for spaghetti or cappelini, where the entire length doesn't fit in the pot. There is also the matter of separation, some pasta will tend to cling together due to gravity, chemical and electromagnetic factors, and the steam bubbles rising separates the pasta as it hydrates and cooks. Salt is a binding element, as most pastas are served with some kind of salted sauce. It aims to bring the fairly bland wheat to a saltiness that is comparable to that of the sauce or other ingredients. Salt also increases the boiling point of water, but that is very marginal in the cooking process. Not all pasta can be hydrated and then cooked, also. Some gain an odd texture through the process.

>> No.5465249

Why does it boil a lot if I cover the cooking pot ?

>> No.5465404

>>5465249

because the lid traps the steam coming off the boil, which raises the pressure and heat as it builds up.

>> No.5465841

>>5464874
Dont listen to him.

Don't add oil or the sauce wont adhere to the pasta.

Generously salt water before the pasta goes in. Personally, I can tell the difference between plain pasta cooked in unsalted water and plain pasta cooked in salted water. You can always test to decide what works for you/

>> No.5465999

How much salt should I add to ~4L of water?

>> No.5466009

>>5464866
It doesn't matter what measurement you use, it's all about the ratio of salt to water. I've had to through out entire pots of pasta because it was too salty. I just eye ball it, but you honestly don't need very much to make it taste better. Just a tablespoon or so per pot is enough.

>> No.5466014

>>5466009
"per pot" is vague I now realize. I just use small pots to cook mine, so I don't need a lot of salt. Best way is to just experiment until you get it right, gradually adding more each time.

>> No.5466019

>>5464873
More nucleation gives me a better feel for when the water's really on a rolling boil. And I pretend I'm a mage adding volatile things to a potion.

>> No.5466041

>>5464689
In general you want each component of a dish seasoned properly by itself. So you want your pasta properly seasoned and the sauce properly seasoned rather than trying to get an overly salty sauce to season everything.