How to Cook Spaghetti

Spaghetti can be the foundation of an inexpensive dinner that will feed the whole family.

Spaghetti is an easy and inexpensive meal to make. You can enjoy it with a basic tomato sauce or add chicken or shrimp for a more complex dish. Cooking dried spaghetti is particularly quick.

Things You'll Need

• Large pot, preferably a Dutch oven
• 1 (16 oz.) container of dried spaghetti
• Salt
• Colander
• Olive oil

Instructions

1. Fill a large pot, preferably a dutch oven, with water. Depending on the size of the pot, fill it from 1/2 to 3/4 full with water.

2. Cover the pot with a lid and place over high heat.

3. Leave the lid on the pot until the water comes to a rolling boil. The lid will allow the water to heat up more quickly.

4. Remove the lid and add salt to the water when it reaches a boil.

5. Remove the spaghetti from its packaging and break it in half.

6. Add the spaghetti to the boiling water.

7. Allow the spaghetti to cook for approximately 10 minutes, occasionally stirring it to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Occasionally check the spaghetti to see if it's done. When the pasta reaches al dente, it will be firm in the middle but chewy.

8. Empty the contents of the pot into the colander to drain the liquid.

9. Add a small amount of olive oil to the pasta and toss.

10. Serve with your favorite sauce.

Tips & Warnings

• After the water comes to a boil do not put the lid back on. If you do, the water will boil over.

• Be careful when handling the boiling water because it can cause severe burns if you spill it.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish