Vent: That sous chef who told me to stop salting my pasta water

I had a sous chef at a place in Portland 2 years ago who swore salting pasta water was a waste because 'you season the sauce anyway.' Tried his method for a week and my pasta came out flat every time. Has anyone else run into older chefs giving advice that just doesn't hold up?

2 comments

2 Comments

blake43214d ago

Swear to god, I had this same thing happen at a place in Seattle. The head chef told me salting pasta water was for amateurs and real pros just rely on the sauce. I gave it a shot for a week too and my pasta was just bland and sad. Its like they forget the pasta itself needs salt to taste like anything. Meanwhile Ive been making pasta at home for years and the difference is night and day. Some people just get stuck in their old ways and cant admit when theyre wrong.

cooper.nathan14d ago

Yeah @blake432, I bet that chef also thinks you don't need salt in bread dough because the butter will take care of it. At this point I'm convinced half of these "pro tips" are just hazing rituals for new cooks.