Do you know how to boil pasta?

Quite the rhetorical question, right? I don't think it is. Sure, I know you know how to boil water, whether you do it on the stove top or in the microwave, but did you know this is when you should season your pasta? You could salt and pepper the pasta dish all you want once it's plated but to truly season the pasta, you have to do it by seasoning the water.

Pasta needs two things to be added to water more than any other things you could add. Yes, even if all you are doing is making spaghetti to go with plain marinara, you should still add two things: salt and olive oil. Adding salt to the water is the only way of making sure the pasta is seasoned because it will absorb the salty water that it's being boiled in. How much salt should you add? Depends on how much pasta you are making, so if you're making a pound of pasta, you should add about a tablespoon salt to the boiling water. For a single serving of pasta, which is about a quarter of a box of pasta, throw in a teaspoon of salt. The olive oil, on the other hand, isn't for seasoning, but it makes sure you don't get that foamy, overflowing mess all over the stove. If you want to know what the foam is, it's the starch from the pasta mixing with the boiling water, thus the bubbles. The olive oil helps prevent the overflowing bubbles by changing the properties of the water. If you're a science geek, it creates a lipid layer around the starch that prevents the foam from building up. Simply put, no more mess. Again, a tablespoon of oil per pound of pasta. Start to incorporate these two things to your pasta. And try not to overcook your pasta.

You have the basics to great pasta. It's salted and now you can start to add flavor to the pasta. How about throwing in some dried basil or italian seasoning into the boiling water? Or maybe some red pepper flakes and garlic powder. Let's say you are cooking some chicken and the recipe calls for some cayenne and onion, then why not throw in the seasonings in to the water. I'm not asking you to overload the pasta with seasonings but give it some flavor. It will help bring the whole dish together. Now all you have to do is find a way to throw some wine in to the mix and you are set. (Don't do this all the time and don't add it to the water.)

Here's something to think about too. Spain has been seasoning it's rice with saffron for centuries in their paellas. Couscous is really just tiny little balls of pasta so you can follow these rules too. It's not some crazy idea I just came up with. It's just another way to play while you cook and make your meals unique.

Now go forth and create...