"Because salt has been known to damage pots over time, eliminating the use of salt gives Olive Garden a longer warranty on its pots, saving it money. But salting pasta water not only adds seasoning to the noodles much more effectively than salting it afterwards, as the salty water seeps into the noodle itself, but it also makes the pasta less sticky and gives it a better consistency."
"In addition to opting against salting its pasta water, Olive Garden also fails to serve its dishes al dente. According to reports, this is because some customers don't enjoy firm pasta, and Olive Garden tries to appeal to the broadest audience possible. However, any true pasta fan knows al dente is the way to go, as it gives you a firmer bite and an overall tastier result. It's the standard in Italy, the birthplace of pasta, for a reason."
"The combination of unsalted pasta and soft noodles led Tasting Table, in a ranking of Olive Garden pasta dishes, to state that its lasagna featured mushy noodles and was goop-like, and worse than one from the freezer section of a grocery store. This is a pretty unforgivable quality when it costs $18.49 in the Cincinnati area (over five times the cost of a frozen Stouffer's lasagna from"
Olive Garden does not salt its pasta water because salt can damage pots and eliminating salt extends pot warranties, saving the chain money. Salting pasta water seasons noodles more effectively than salting after cooking, as salty water seeps into the noodle, reduces stickiness, and improves consistency. Olive Garden tends to serve pasta softer than al dente to appeal to customers who prefer less firm noodles. Al dente pasta provides a firmer bite and better flavor and is the standard in Italy. Olive Garden lasagna has been criticized for mushy noodles and a goop-like texture while costing $18.49 in Cincinnati.
Read at Tasting Table
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