SMALL WINS+: NO MORE PENNE, PLEASE
SMALL WINS+: NO MORE PENNE, PLEASE
pasta 101 (making it, cooking it + saucing it) + should your pasta water really be as salty as the sea?!
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PASTA 101: NO MORE PENNE, PLEASE
Today we are talking all things PASTA.
I know you’re going to think I’m mad for writing a newsletter primarily about dried pasta — that ubiquitous food that we all have in our cupboard — but I’ve long thought that it is the everyday stuff that is most worth optimising.
This post:
Answers the essential question: should your pasta water be as salty as the sea? You’ll come away with a ratio of pasta to water to salt that will ensure your pasta is cooked perfectly every single time.
Shares my “Italian flag” framework for pasta sauces, inspired by Samin Nosrat’s 5 great pasta families
Encourages you to up your pasta game by seeking out the best pasta shapes (fusilli, bye) and matching them with the right sauces (it does make a difference!)
Offers my take on the best brands to buy whether for everyday cooking (move over DeCecco), for a special occasion or if you’re prioritising nutrition
Links you to the very best recipes for all the classic pasta sauces
Shares the single ratio that you need for making any fresh pasta
Takes you step-by-step through making fresh pasta (with videos!)
Shares a playlist perfect for making fresh pasta with the one(s) you love — it makes for such a great date or hang out with friends!
1.
Should your water really be as salty as the sea?
It took a while but I think most of us have now internalised the mantra of nonnas the world over that your pasta water really ought to be “as salty as the sea”. Still, I would wager that most of us are too scared to truly go that far — and probably just as well, really, because sea water has between 33 and 37% salinity, so we’re talking between 33g and 37g of salt per litre!
Nevertheless, I was curious to find out what pasta cooked in water as salty as the sea would taste like, and along those lines, what is the right salinity level for pasta? It was time to do some tests.