Barilla Settles the Debate: This Is When You Should Salt Pasta Water

Pasta plus sauce equals the ultimate easy dinner: Boil water, add pasta, and open a jar of marinara. There is one more step you need to take if you want your pasta to taste great, however. You’ve got to add salt to the water. But when? Some people say to add it to cold water at the beginning, others say to add it when the water comes to a rolling boil, just before the pasta goes in, with the pasta, or when the pasta is halfway done cooking. And then there are those who insist you should skip salting the water and season your finished dinner to taste. 

Pasta enthusiasts have passionately argued all sides of this debate. That’s why we tapped the ultimate expert of pasta—Barilla—to settle it for us once and for all. We asked Lorenzo Boni, executive chef at Barilla Americas, for some authoritative answers.

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