The Secret Ingredient That Will Make Pasta Taste Even Better (Without Adding Salt)

Since news broke that eating noodles isn’t so terrible after all, you’ve been—ahem—generous with your pasta dinners. We’re on board with that. Here’s how to make that bowl of spaghetti taste even better—without adding any salt at all.

What You Need: Your favorite cooked pasta, tomato sauce and a lemon wedge.

What You Do: Serve yourself a heap of noodles and pour tomato sauce over them like you normally would. Then, remove the seeds from the lemon wedge and squeeze it right on top. You want just enough to make a difference but not so much that the juice collects at the bottom of the bowl. Toss the pasta to distribute the lemon juice evenly throughout the dish.

OK, but Does It Taste Like Citrus? Nope! But it definitely adds a nice tang. Lemons are a flavor enhancer just like salt but without all the sodium. A fresh squeeze brings out the acidity of the tomatoes and enhances the flavor of the noodles, making the entire dish more savory. 

When life gives you lemons: Squeeze them on some penne.

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