How to Cook Pasta in Pots

Follow classic methods to make a pot of perfect pasta.

From a simple spaghetti to an elaborate farfelle bow tie, pasta is a versatile ingredient that is featured in hundreds of different recipes. No matter how involved your recipe may be, it all begins with a well-cooked batch of pasta. Each pasta may take a different amount of time to cook, but all pastas cook in exactly the same way. Whether you're using fresh pasta or dried, follow the classic rules for pasta cooking to ensure flavorful noodles without clumping, sogginess or a doughy flavor.

Things You'll Need

• Large pot
• Stove
• Lid
• Salt
• Measuring spoon
• Fork
• Colander

Instructions

1. Fill a large soup pot 3/4 full of cold water. Place the pot on a stove burner. Turn the burner to medium-high heat and place the lid on the pot. Allow the water to heat until it is at a full, rolling boil.

2. Remove the lid from the pot and set it aside. Add 2 tbsp. of salt to the water and stir it in with your fork. Do not lower the heat on the burner, and keep the water boiling.

3. Pour 1 lb. of pasta into the boiling water. Stir the pasta and water with a fork to make sure the noodles are separated and not sticking to the bottom of the pot.

4. Turn the heat down a small amount to keep the water from boiling over in the pot. Stir the pasta about every minute or so for the first 4 minutes.

5. Check the pasta after 4 minutes to start judging the relative doneness of the noodles. Remove one piece of pasta with a fork, run it under cold water briefly to cool it off and take a bite. If the middle is hard, keep cooking. If the pasta is easy to bite through without any hard parts in the middle, your pasta is finished cooking.

6. Pour 1 cup of cold water into the pasta pot to immediately stop the cooking process. Dump the pasta and water out into a colander that is set into a sink. Allow the pasta to drain for a moment, then pick up the colander and shake it slightly to remove any excess water.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't rinse pasta that will be sauced afterward. The exceptions to this rule are large noodles to be used afterward, like lasagna, and pastas to be used in a cold salad.

• Don't add oil to your pasta cooking water. Adding oil will prevent the sauce from sticking to the finished noodles.

References

• Whats Cooking America: Cooking Pasta - How To Cook Perfect Pasta
• Anna Maria Volpi: How to Cook Pasta