Spaghetti, rigatoni, penne, ravioli, linguine, orecchiette, fusilli… Regardless of the shape, pasta is undeniably delicious. Not only is a large plate of pasta one of the most satisfying dishes to make, it's also super easy to prepare as long as you stick to a few simple rules. Boil water, add pasta and you're good to go – you thought so. It turns out there are probably a lot of things you do and don't do when cooking pasta that make a huge difference in texture and taste. When cooked perfectly al dente, your pasta is cooked, but should retain a firm texture, which can be trickier than just following the directions on the box. Whether you cook pasta weekly or once a year, there are a few tricks that will make your pasta taste great every time.
Do not use a pot that is large enough
Using a smaller pot will make the pasta cook faster, right? wrong. Using a pot that is too small will compress the paste and you will end up with lumpy, gooey paste. Plus, the pasta will significantly lower the temperature of the small amount of water in the pan, meaning the time it takes for the water to boil again won't save you any time. Make sure to use at least 4 parts water for every pound of pasta to give it the space it deserves.
Start with hot water Science can surprise, especially when it comes to boiling water. You may have thought that starting with hot water in your pasta pot would reduce the time it takes to come to a boil. It doesn't matter if you start with hot or cold water, it takes about the same amount of time to come to a boil. Cold water absorbs heat faster than warm water. Once the water is hot, the heating rate slows down, so the benefit of starting with hot water is negligible.
Do not salt the water
So many people consider adding salt to the water as an optional step, but the salt is crucial to bringing out the flavor of the pasta. In addition to adding flavor, the salt prevents the pasta from becoming slimy as it cooks. You should add about one to two tablespoons of salt for every five to six liters of water.
Add oil to the water You may have heard that adding olive oil to the water while cooking the pasta will prevent the pasta from sticking together. In reality, the pasta can cook without lumps if you just cook it in a large pot of fast-boiling water. Adding oil from any type of pasta during cooking will only cause the pasta sauce to slide off the pasta later, resulting in a pasta-sauce relationship that is anything but harmonious.
Add the pasta before the water boils
You may have been tempted to add the paste to the pot when the first bubble appears on the surface of the water, but you have to wait for the water to boil. The pasta lowers the temperature of the water, and the longer the pasta sits in the water that isn't boiling, the stickier and stickier it gets, and the more likely your pasta is to get lumpy.
Do not stir the pasta
Once the pasta is in the water, the cooking will slow down for the next two minutes. To prevent the pasta from sticking during this time, it is important to stir the pasta until the water is boiling again.
Cook all types of pasta the same
Pasta cooking times may vary by brand, size and whether the pasta is fresh or dried. Use the packet as a guideline for how long to cook the pasta, but always taste a few minutes before the packet advises to achieve that perfect al dente. You don't have to throw the pasta against the wall to see if it's ready, but the process is a little more convenient than setting a timer.
Leave the pasta in the colander
You don't have to be too precise when it comes to draining the pasta in a colander. A little water on the pasta will help keep it from clumping and the starchy water will give your sauce more body.
Do not cook the sauce for the pasta
Again, leaving the pasta in the colander while you cook the sauce will give the pasta time to stick and dry out. Instead, prepare the sauce while you wait for the water to boil. Then set the sauce aside while you cook your pasta.
Do not save pasta water for the sauce
Don't pour all that flavorful, starchy water down the drain. A little pasta water added to the sauce brings the dish together by thickening the sauce.
Rinse the pasta after cooking
There is no need to rinse the pasta after cooking. In fact, rinsing the pasta washes away the starch that helps thicken the sauce, as well as the flavor you produced by salting the water. There's a caveat:if you're using something like penne for a cold pasta salad, make sure to rinse it to prevent it from sticking as it cools.
Do not finish the pasta in the sauce
You're almost ready to sit down and enjoy your plate of pasta, but if you just put the pasta in a plate and then pour the sauce over it, you're doing it wrong! Instead, finish your pasta in the sauce while it's still on the heat. Drain your pasta when it is still a minute or two from al dente perfection and let it cook in the sauce. This allows the pasta to absorb some of the sauce and the end result will be more flavorful than if you just toss the sauce over pasta. This is also the point where you have to put a little bit of the pasta water back into the pan, along with a knob of butter, and you'll have a delicious and perfectly tasty plate of pasta.
Using too much sauce Finally, this is not a rule, but if you want to enjoy pasta like an Italian, take it easy with the sauce. If you take the time to cook the pasta properly so that you get a perfect al dente texture and starchy taste, drowning your pasta in sauce seems almost sacrilege. Instead, put just enough sauce to cover the pasta, and add a splash of reserved starchy pasta water to help the sauce stick to it.
