I quit salting pasta water 6 months ago and my sauces actually taste better now

Diana Burns · 2026-10-08T07:30:03.085934+00:00

Everyone in my kitchen kept saying you gotta salt the water like the sea, and I did that for maybe 12 years straight. Then a chef I respect at a spot in Portland asked me why I was seasoning the water instead of the sauce, and I couldn't give him a good answer. Now I use plain water and put that salt in the sauce at the end where I can actually taste what I'm doing. My pasta comes out cleaner and the sauce sticks better instead of tasting thin. Anyone else drop the salty water thing or am I the only one late to this?

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I quit salting pasta water 6 months ago and my sauces actually taste better now | Chefs - Thought Shares