Did you at least get a good story out of it, @paul346? I spent a whole weekend "fixing" a leaky pipe once and ended up with a bathroom that looks like modern art because I couldn't get the walls straight. In my experience, sometimes you just gotta step back and call it "character" so you don't lose your mind.

My line cook buddy told me the SAME thing and I argued with him for like ten minutes. I was all "but the pasta absorbs the salt" and he just stared at me. He said I was basically making salt noodles and then covering them in salty sauce. So I tried his way with a teaspoon per gallon and my carbonara came out PERFECT. The flavor was actually balanced instead of just PUNCHING you in the face with salt. Now I adjust based on the sauce too, less salt in the water if the sauce is already heavy on parmesan or anchovies. It's like I forgot that the sauce needs room to breathe or something.