7 helpful tips to cook perfect pasta

10/25/2019

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Culture Story: 7 helpful tips to cook perfect pasta

Do you like pasta? It’s not just about boiling water, cooking pasta correctly is about paying attention to detail. These useful tips will help you to cook pasta perfectly! Moreover, you can share your own tips in the comments after the article.

These tips are especially useful for those whose pasta always comes out too sticky or too hard.

#1 Use a large pot

Your pasta needs room to move and cook evenly, so using a pot that gives it space is imperative. It will also prevent pasta from sticking together. Use at least 4 quarts of water for every pound of pasta.

#2 Salt the water

Once a large pot is filled with water, it’s important to season the water liberally with salt. Use about 10 g (1/3 ounce) for every liter of water, to make the water slightly salted. It adds flavor to the pasta. Not salting the water at all will leave you with bland noodles and ruin everything. Nobody likes a bland noodle, right?

#3 Wait for the water to boil

No, we don’t take you for a fool, but you’d be surprised by how many don’t know that this is a crucial step that should not be overlooked.

#4 Add the pasta

Stir it to keep the pasta from sticking. This is especially important within the first 2 minutes of cooking. It’s more likely to stick together in the beginning before the starches are released into the water. By the way, don’t break your spaghetti before cooking.

#5 Test the pasta by tasting it

Spaghetti should always be cooked “al dente”. This means that spaghetti should be tender outside and slightly firm to the bite in the center. Following the cooking time on the package is a great idea, but these cooking time suggestions may leave you with pasta that is not really “al dente”. That’s why you should always taste the pasta before draining to make sure the texture is right.

#6 Drain the pasta well

Don’t drain every last bit of water off the pasta. It is good for the sauce, and sometimes you will even want to add more. Reserved pasta water contains essential starch that can be used later to adjust the consistency of your sauce.

#7 Don’t rinse your pasta

Unless you’re planning on using your pasta for a cold pasta salad, don’t rinse it after draining! The starch in the water is what helps the sauce adhere to your pasta.

Don’t forget to share your own tips in the comments below!

Share this article with your friends who don't know how to cook pasta!

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What are your thoughts on this subject?

12 Comments

Ilias Tsiabardas

that's exactly how I am Cooking my pasta !!!

Eve

I actually knew all of these tips but really good information because I didn't learn them until later in life.

Shoshana Katz

I often add a few drops of olive oil when I add the speghetti to stop the noodles from adhering to one another.

Raymond Cardona

When I was in college taking a food related course our prof told us we could through a strand or 2 at the wall and if it stick it was cooked right there was lots of spaghetti thrown that first day and then the novelty wore off quickly especially when she wasn't happy that the students took her up on her word Bonnie

Patricia Cairns

Terry O'Rourke, every chef I know says don’t add oil when cooking the pasta otherwise the sauce won’t coat the pasta.

ninakamwene

Great information on pasta. I gain 10 lbs eating pasta in Italy. It is the best. Thank you.

Terry O'Rourke

I add a drop of olive oil to the water while it cooks, it stops the pasta from sticking together.

Ilias Tsiabardas

I know all that + thear are people they're Eating the pasta without a Sauce ,in that case I put in the fry pan olive oil with crash garlic and throw the pasta in and add graded parmesan or the Greek versions graded dry Ricotta cheese

Jim Adams

The most current fad is don’t drain the pasta at all, just take it straight out of the water with a scoop.

Steve Heady

Don't add olive oil to your pasta while cooking. It keeps the sauce from sticking to the noodle. It's for the same reason you don't rinse your pasta.

Angela James

I also add a tiny amount of olive oil to stop the pasta sticking to the pan and i season it with black pepper just prior to serving.

I thank you for the tips :)

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