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Pasta Water Salt Calculator

How much salt for pasta water.

Add
50g
salt to 5.0L water
Salt (oz)
1.76
Salt (tsp)
8.3
Water
5.0L

The 1-10-100 rule

For every 100g of pasta, use 10× the water (1L) and 1× the salt (10g). Italian standard. American restaurants often go lighter, around 5g/L.

Salt does almost nothing to the boiling point but seasons the pasta as it absorbs water. Salt after the water boils so the pot heats faster. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining - it emulsifies sauces.

About

Enter pasta weight in grams. The tool gives you matching water and salt amounts using the 1-10-100 rule (100g pasta + 1L water + 10g salt for Italian standard).

How to use

  1. Enter pasta weight.
  2. Pick salinity.

FAQ

Does salt change the boiling point?+

Barely. The salt is for seasoning the pasta, not the physics. Add it after the water boils so the pot heats faster.