Season the Water When Boiling Pasta — It Should Taste Like the Sea

Pasta absorbs water as it cooks. If that water has no flavor, neither will your pasta — no matter how good the sauce is. The water should taste noticeably salty, about one tablespoon of salt per liter.

This is the single most common pasta mistake. People add a tiny pinch of salt to a huge pot and wonder why their pasta tastes bland even with a great sauce on top. The seasoning needs to come from inside the noodle, not just on the surface. Taste the water before adding the pasta. If it doesn't taste like the sea, add more salt. This one change will improve every pasta dish you make.