The kids are fine.
While the majority of Gen Z home cooks make spaghetti suitable for Italian family dinners, most baby boomers remain hopelessly lost in the shadow of the pasta pot, according to a new study.
To better understand America's relationship with Sunday favorites, Barilla commissioned a starchy study that uncovered a surprising generational divide in kitchens across the country.
The pasta maker found that only 33% of baby boomers know they need to add salt to their pasta water. 56% of Gen Z and 51% of Millennials know this.
This finding led in-house chef Lorenzo Boni to say in writing that he felt it was a bit salty and that four teaspoons of table seasoning should be added to every gallon of boiled water.
Chef Silvia Colloca took this harsh instruction a step further, insisting that real Italians add salt to their pasta water “fist by fist.”
“This is because salt is actually part of the overall seasoning,” Colloka says. He told the Sydney Morning Herald..
“No matter how great your sauce is, if you don't add enough salt to the water, the pasta will be bland and therefore the whole dish will be bland. The water you boil your pasta in should taste as salty as the sea. .”
Colloca also explained that adding salt before or after the pasta water boils is of little importance. She added that it can also be done with cold water if you stir it well.
Salt is not the only reason why young and old generations mix together like water and oil.
Another issue is, well, oil.
Boni emphasized that there's no need to add olive oil to pasta water, but a whopping 65% of baby boomers are guilty of spaghetti.
According to Barilla, about half of Gen Z is highly knowledgeable.
“If you do that, the oil will float to the top, which is completely useless, and when you drain the pasta, the oil coating will prevent the sauce from adhering properly,” Colloca says.
“The only way to prevent pasta from sticking is to boil it in plenty of salted water. Stir the pasta a few times when you add it and as it cooks.”
And finally, mentioning another nonna no-no: 62% of baby boomers think it's acceptable to break spaghetti in half. In comparison, 45% of Gen Z amateur chefs remain the same.
“The length of the pasta plays an important role in how it interacts with the sauce. Longer strands will hold the sauce better, creating a more flavorful and cohesive bite,” Barilla's pasta experts say. explained in a written statement.
“To destroy it is to disturb this harmony,” they solemnly warned.
Other chefs claim that spaghetti is too thin for commonly used dishes like Bolognese. Instead, they say to use thick threads like tagliatelle for meat dishes.
