Pro tip: An old sous chef told me to salt pasta water like the ocean
I used to be timid with salt, just a pinch in the water. Then this guy Ray, been cooking for 20 years, pulled me aside and said put enough salt in so it TASTES like the sea. I thought he was crazy. First time I tried it, I used like 2 tablespoons for a big pot. The pasta came out PERFECTLY seasoned on its own. No need to oversauce it just to get flavor. I swear it made my carbonara way better. Has anyone else gotten a tip from an older cook that went against what you thought?
Ray from the old crew taught me the same thing when I was making sauce from scratch. I was worried about oversalting but he just said trust the water, it won't all soak in. My pasta came out way better after that, no comparison.
Huh, is it really that big of a deal? I mean, I get that too much salt ruins things but a lot of people just eyeball it and it works out fine. My grandmother never measured a thing in her life and her pasta was always solid. I feel like if you're not cooking for a restaurant or something, a little salt or less salt won't make or break a Tuesday night dinner. But hey, if it works for you, knock yourself out.