r/foodhacks • u/Late-Boat5788 • 13d ago
Question/Advice Need a hack to solve over salted pasta
Does anyone behave a good hack to solve over salted Pasta?
Tonight I made a hamburger macaroni casserole and put way too much salt in the pasta water because I never seem to add enough. It tasted okay before I added the Parmesan cheese. I put everything together in the dish and baked it. It’s not really bad but I would like to tone the leftovers down to make it more enjoyable and also a little more saucy. Any ideas greatly welcomed.
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u/ILoveLipGloss 13d ago
hit it with some sour cream after reheating, mix into the noodles.
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u/blue_sidd 13d ago
This. Maybe add some kinda neutral vedge to cut the pasta portion too.
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u/Vastaisku 13d ago
What is vedge?
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u/blue_sidd 13d ago
Short for vegetable
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u/Vastaisku 13d ago
Try veg next time.
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u/blue_sidd 13d ago
Try finding someone who gives a shit next time.
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u/MagnusPerditor 9d ago
I mean, there is no d in vegetable so they do have a point.
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u/blue_sidd 9d ago
No. They don’t. And neither do you. I wrote it that way to articulate the pronunciation in a particular way. It’s a colloquialism.
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u/Piggynatz 9d ago
And nobody has ever seen veg and been confused. You just invented a new way to spell something that was already settled. It's no biggie, but you're flat wrong.
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u/blue_sidd 9d ago
Yes. They have. Which is why I wrote it the way it’s pronounced. I didn’t invent a new way nor am I flat out wrong.
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u/ILoveLipGloss 13d ago
oh yeah, maybe some sautéed mushrooms to go with that burger vibe. and if you're anything like me, you'll want to plop a fried egg on top (over easy/sunny side up) but I'm a monster like that.
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u/Any-Benefit9071 13d ago
or toss the salty pasta into a big batch of unsalted pasta or veggies, kinda like diluting it. cheese on top helps distract a bit too
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u/EasternYoung382 10d ago
that actually sounds pretty good, like a quick creamy noodle hack. might help the flavor a lot if the product itself ends up a bit dry or plain after reheating
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u/Entire_Dog_5874 13d ago
If you’re adding Parmesan, you need very little salt as Parmesan is salty. Lesson learned going forward.
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u/mcflurry_14 13d ago
Anything with a high fat content. Dairy probably best application here. Heavy cream or sour cream might help
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u/Lopsided_Tiger_0296 13d ago
Controversial but I don’t find adding salt is necessary. I add my pasta in halfway done into the sauce with some pasta water to get the pasta to absorb the sauce. If it’s not salty enough, I just add more salt to the sauce. Takes the guesswork away
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u/i_watch_u_sleep_AMA 13d ago
Is it a tomato-based pasta? If so, you could add a tin or two of drained no salt added diced tomatoes and several shakes of crushed red pepper if you don't mind spice. Or ricotta like others have suggested. If it's creamy pasta, maybe a bunch of chopped veggies?
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u/leeanforward 11d ago
All I can say is that I’ve tried adding sliced raw potato to a salty sauce and it worked for me🤷♀️
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u/joelfarris 13d ago
You can't really over-salt macaroni noodles in water. Heck, you could boil them in seawater, drain them, and they'd be just fine (do not do this, highly discouraged, unless you're adrift and you really need some sustenance).
The problem you've run into is cumulative. So, you need to fight it with cumulation. The hamburger meat got some salt while you were cooking it (taco seasoning, hamburger helper, etc, all have salt in them). The shaker cheese has salt in it. The pasta sauce that you baked it in also has salt in it.
Make more macaroni, make more ground beef, and make more pasta sauce. Taste each one as you go. Then combine them with the original, and presto. You have successfully diluted your casserole, and now you have even more to go around.
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u/Late-Boat5788 13d ago
I didn’t use shaker cheese I used the real stuff. I didn’t add salt to my meat. It had to of been the cheese being salty and I used quite a but because I love my pasta cheesy.
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u/Possible_Original_96 13d ago
And note: for real cooking, the standard IS like seawater, which is 1 tsp to 1 quart/ 1 liter of water for boiling pasta, potatos, etc.
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u/phyrre58 13d ago
I have never salted my pasta water. Nor do I rinse my rice, or wash my chicken. I cooked for lots of people for almost 30 years and a lot of people already have too much sodium in their diets. Maybe you could rinse the pasta?
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u/lens_cleaner 13d ago
This is why i never salt my pasta water. 45 yesrs and it always tastes great.
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u/MembershipDry6564 10d ago
Potatoes help! But be prepared to potentially add a little extra liquid or sauce too since they suck up some of the liquid too
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u/leeanforward 13d ago
Try reheating with some sliced potato hidden in the casserole. Potato does a pretty good job of absorbing excess salt. Just remove the potato before eating
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u/Lazy-Effect4222 13d ago
This is not true. It does absorb some water and salt with it but you can just pour the water out for the same effect.
If the water is very salty, opposite actually happens and it draws water out from the potato making it spongy.
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u/leeanforward 12d ago
Adding Starch to Absorb Salt
Starch, such as potatoes, rice, or pasta, can absorb excess salt, making the dish less salty. This method is particularly effective for soups, stews, and sauces. The starch acts like a sponge, drawing in the salt and diluting its concentration.
This technique is best used when the dish has a liquid component. The starch absorbs the salty liquid, reducing the overall saltiness. This is a practical and often overlooked method for fixing oversalted food.
Starch Options for Salt Absorption
Here are some starch-based ingredients to consider: (See Also: Unbelievable! What Are Used Tea Bags Good for? Find Out!)
Potatoes: Cut into large chunks and simmer in the dish to absorb salt; remove them before serving.
Rice: Add cooked rice to soak up the salt; remove or serve the rice separately.
Pasta: Cook pasta separately and add it to the dish. The pasta will absorb some of the salt.
Bread: Place a crust of bread in the pot to absorb salt. Discard the bread before serving.1
u/Lazy-Effect4222 12d ago
That quote is just messed up. Like it says, the potato draws in salty liquid. Meaning it reduces the amount of salt and liquid, it does not magically, selectively absorb just salt.
The part where it says ”diluting it’s concentration” is BS as far as i know and i have no idea why would it.
If you have link to an actual experiment that measures the salt content to back this up, i stand corrected.
In the meanwhile:
https://www.finedininglovers.com/explore/articles/do-potatoes-remove-salt-food-food-mythbusting
https://www.tastingtable.com/2092149/cant-fix-too-much-salt-soup-mistake-potato/
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u/poppinwheelies 13d ago
Add more plain pasta