What can pasta absorb from the water it's cooked in?
It can absorb spices.

I have a Sicilian couscous recipe which involves boiling large couscous in water with a couple of cinnamon sticks.  The couscous tastes mildly of cinnamon when it's done, which is part of the balanced spicing of the recipe.  The large couscous in this case is boiled for 7 minutes, and you put the cinnamon sticks in while the water is still cold.