Exactly What to Add to Pasta Water (and 1 Thing Never to Add), According to Chefs

Long before you decide between pasta salad, pasta casserole, or classic pasta entrée—and even before you choose the best pasta shape to prepare for your dish—you have an important decision to make: “what should I add to pasta water?” 

This might sound like an insignificant detail in the overall dinner prep process, but the chefs we spoke to agree it’s essential if you’re aiming for a flavorful, restaurant-quality pasta recipe. In fact, if you don’t season your pasta cooking water, “you will never quite get the noodles seasoned enough,” says Test Kitchen brand manager Juliana Hale.

Read on to learn more about how to season pasta water like a pro, then stick around to discover the one thing many home cooks add to pasta water…but shouldn’t.

The Best Pasta Water “Recipe”

It can be tempting to tote your pot to the sink, fill ‘er up, and pop it on the stove to bring to a boil. But Hale confirms it’s wise to get a little more precise with your pasta water “recipe.” There’s no need to strictly measure, however, a good rule of thumb is to use 4 to 6 quarts of water per pound of pasta. 

“Too little water makes for a sticky and starchy situation,” warns recipe developer Jeanette Donnarumma. On the flip side, if the noodles have room to swim, “they will be less likely to stick together. Stirring from time to time during cooking also helps,” Hale adds.

Before you bring it to a boil and add the noodles, it’s time to add the MVP pasta water ingredient: Salt. 

Every chef Donnarumma has ever worked with (that list includes Rachael Ray) suggests aiming to make the pasta cooking water "as salty as the ocean!" Our pro panel tells us that works out to about 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons of salt. (Eyeballing this is A-OK.) Kosher salt and sea salt will have a more clean flavor, but “table salt is better than none,” Hale explains.

If that sounds like a lot, keep in mind that “most dried pasta doesn’t have any salt in it, so boiling it in well-salted water is your first shot at adding real flavor,” notes executive chef Brian Mooney. “You’re seasoning the pasta from the inside out. If you skip this step, you’ll end up having to over-season the pasta sauce to make up for it, and it still won’t taste the same. Salted water gives the pasta its own depth, which means your final dish is more balanced.” (No wonder dishes that involve cooking noodles in salty broth, such as Pastina and One-Pot French Onion Pasta, taste so incredible.)

Plus, remember that pasta can only absorb so much water. Most of it goes down the drain when you strain the pasta, so “a lot of the salt will be left behind,” Hale says.

The 1 Thing to Never Add to Pasta Water

Some home cooks add oil to pasta cooking water in an attempt to prevent the pot from boiling over or to keep the pasta from sticking together. Oil actually doesn’t accomplish either of these tasks, Hale confirms. Instead, adding oil to pasta water “coats the noodles, which can make it harder for sauces to stick later,” Mooney explains. “It’s also a waste of oil.”

Using enough water and stirring the pasta as it cooks is your best bet to keep it from sticking together, according to recipe developer Dina Deleasa Gonsar.

No need to overcomplicate things: Your best pasta water “recipe” includes just water and salt.

Bonus Pro Tips For Pasta Water

Before we send you off to boil your best batch of pasta yet, we want to leave you with a couple more pro tips to help you use your noodle(s) wisely:

• Save the starchy water. Before you drain your pasta, Donnarumma suggests reserving at least 1 cup of the salty, starchy pasta water. “This is liquid gold when it comes to pasta sauces. It helps thicken the sauce, allows the sauce to cling to the pasta better, and pulls everything together for a finished product with beautiful balance,” Donnarumma says. (Our 7-Ingredient Cottage Cheese “Alfredo” shows this theory in practice.) Even if you don’t use it now, it can be wise to save and freeze some of that starchy water to save the day next time you dump that water down the drain and need it.
• Multitask your meal prep. If your pasta recipe calls for cooked vegetables, try one of our Test Kitchen's favorite hacks: Add them to the same pot toward the end of the noodle cook time, so they can boil for the few minutes they need. “Then you won’t have to dirty another pot. You can also add a sprig or two of fresh herbs, if you want to add that flavor to your pasta,” Hale says. Watch this wizardry in action in our Broccoli and Chicken Sausage Pasta and Tortellini and Garden Vegetable Bake.