A Spicy Perspective

How to Cook Pasta (Perfectly)

Learn How to Cook Pasta “al dente”, every time. Cooking pasta is a simple task that often leads to frustration. These tips will hopefully lead to happy pasta dishes and eliminate future pasta disasters.

How to Cook Pasta | ASpicyPerspective.com #pasta #howto #cookingtips #delallo

“So what is al dente anyway?”

Al dente is the optimal desired texture when cooking pasta and grains. It refers to a firm, but not hard consistency. The actual translation of the Italian phrase al dente, is “to the tooth” meaning there is an ever-so-slight resistance when you bite into it, but not a crunchy hardcore.

Cooking pasta seems like an easy chore, but often leads to mushy, slimy or sticky pasta if you’re not careful. It’s best not to throw the pasta in the water and forget about it, as so many of us do.

Me included, on occasion.

Today’s “How to Cook Pasta” tutorial will break down the causes of some classic pasta mishaps. For further ins-and-outs of pasta cooking, visit my friends at DeLallo.

They are the ninja masters of pasta.

How to Cook Pasta

The first step to perfect pasta cooking is to boil a lot of water. When you use a pot that is too small and doesn’t hold enough water, the pasta boils in the starch it releases, at concentrated levels. This makes your pasta slimy.

Slimy pasta is a bad thing.

When you pull out a pot for pasta cooking, GO BIG and fill’er up! 5-6 quarts of water is appropriate for one pound of pasta.

Emile Henry Dutch Oven #emilehenry

Thoroughly salt the water. Salting your pasta after you cook it doesn’t enhance the flavor. It just makes it taste, well… SALTY.

When pasta is cooked in salt water, it absorbs the salt and helps to bring forth it’s natural flavors.

Add enough salt to the water to make it taste like the ocean. In a large 5+ quart pot, that should be between 2-4 tablespoons. It seems like a lot of salt, but the pasta will absorb just enough.

How to: Cook Pasta | ASpicyPerspective.com #pasta #howto #cookingtips

Next, bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat. You can place the lid on the pot to get it to boil faster.

Side Note: For years I added a little oil to the water, so that it wouldn’t boil over. A clever trick, right? The problem with this, is it lubes down the strands of pasta so that nothing sticks to them, or absorbs in them. So when it’s time to sauce the pasta, you have a problem.

Restaurant quality pasta is finished in the sauce so that the pasta can absorb the flavors of the sauce. Therefore, it’s best to skip the oil.

How to Cook Perfect Pasta | ASpicyPerspective.com #pasta #howto #cookingtips

Once the water is raging in the pot, add the pasta.

DO NOT add the pasta before you’ve got a serious boil going on. Letting your pasta sit in hot water, that’s not hot enough to actually cook it, makes it mushy.

Cooking #DeLallo Pasta

Stir the pasta so it won’t stick together.

Cooking Pasta | ASpicyPerspective.com #pasta #howto #cookingtips #delallo

Then place the lid back on top for just a minute or two. Doing this will help bring the water back up to that essential boil as fast as possible.

Once you’ve got a rolling boil again, remove the lid.

Emile Henry Pot

Stir a second time and cook the pasta as directed on the package.

I like to check my pasta about two minutes before the package cooking time, just to be safe.

How to Cook Pasta Perfectly | ASpicyPerspective.com #pasta #howto #cookingtips

Now it’s time for the Bite Test.

(Remember when people use to throw pasta against the wall to check if it was cooked enough? Weren’t we crazy in the 90’s?)

Remove a strand of pasta from the pot and bite. How does it feel to the tooth?

Firm but not hard???

Look at the end of the pasta you just bit. If you see a light-colored circle, the pasta is not quite ready.

Not Al Dente

See how this strand has a white circle? Not quite ready.

If you see just a white dot the size of a pin-prick, the pasta is almost al dente.

The white dot signifies it’s time to strain the pasta.

Taking the pasta out of the boiling water, just before it reaches al dente, allows you to cook the pasta in the sauce for a few minutes longer. That way it can absorb all those wonderful saucy flavors without overcooking.

Pasta Cooking | ASpicyPerspective.com #pasta #howto #cookingtips #delallo

Strain the pasta in a colander, or quickly scoop it out with a pasta serving spoon.

DO NOT rinse the pasta. Ever.

You’ll wash away the starch that helps the sauce stick to the pasta. Place the pasta straight into the warm sauce you have ready-and-waiting and toss. Cook 1-2 minutes before turning off the heat.

How to Cook Pasta | ASpicyPerspective.com #pasta #howto #cookingtips #delallo

When straining the pasta, make sure to reserve some of that salty-starchy pasta water. I usually save a cup or so.

Pasta water is a magic ingredient in many pasta dishes. Once you stir the pasta into the sauce, if it’s a little thick or lacking flavor, add a bit of pasta water. You’ll be surprised at the difference it will make.

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43 comments on “How to Cook Pasta (Perfectly)”

  1. You don’t need to nurse a pot of cooking pasta like risotto, but you should certainly stir every 2-3 minutes.

  2. Great info. Lucky me I ran across your site by accident (stumbleupon).
    I have saved it for later!

  3. Great tips! However, you may not believe me, but I attend cooking classes in Dirty Apron which offers one of best cooking classes in Vancouver, and I was told that throwing pasta against the wall is still a tradition they keep in a small town in southern Italy where our chef comes from. Although, you actually never know whether those funny Italians tell the truth or it is meant to be just a joke. ;-)

  4. Great tutorial, Sommer!

  5. That Emile Henry pot is gorgeous, just like the rest of your kitchen! Great tips, Sommer.

  6. Great tips! I have been looking for DeLallo pasta at my local grocery stores, but haven’t found it yet. Anxious to give it a try. :)

  7. What great tips once again! Although I don’t fling the pasta against the wall to see if its done, I do frequently burn my tongue taking a bite. That is why I love the tip about the white dot. So much less painful

  8. I love these how to posts! And here I thought I knew how to cook pasta–I guess not! :)

  9. This is such a great post! Love all these tips. Some I knew, some I didn’t – like adding oil to the water – no idea! You’d think cooking pasta is as simple as boiling water, but, yeah. Not so much. :)

  10. Fabulous tutorial! Pasta on the wall is always fun :D

  11. Really good tutorial, Sommer – love the pasta on the wall memory!!!

  12. Completely agree with the size of the pot and plenty of salt!

  13. Love love love your cookware. And your tutorial is wonderful. Thank you.

  14. putting the lid back on was a new tip for me. thanks, will be trying that next time

  15. Loving your tutorials Sommer! Great tips and step by step photos!

  16. Great tips! I didn’t know about putting the lid back on to get it to a boil fast–will be doing that next time we have pasta.

  17. Fun how-to…and LOVE your pot!

  18. I love the tutorial, Sommer! Now for some reason I’m in the mood for some pasta and sauce tonight for dinner! (=

  19. Great tips Sommer!

  20. Love the tutorial. I think cooking it al dente also keeps the glycemic index lower. :)

  21. Pingback: How to Cook Perfect Pasta | Just Food Blogs | Scoop.it

  22. Wonderful tips. I’ve been eating A LOT of pasta during pregnancy, and I always put my pasta in the pot too early. I need to wait for that strong boil! Thank you for sharing, sweet friend. I hope today and this week brings many blessings and more good food!

  23. Love your how to’s Sommer! I love the trick of using pasta cooking water – works wonders.

  24. Great tutorial, and agreed-the pasta water is key

  25. such a great tutorial Sommer! I never knew about the little white ring or dot! Love that tip!

  26. love a how-to! Hope to see more

  27. Such a great post, Sommer! I dream of perfectly cooked pasta.

  28. Love this! And now I’m craving a giant ol’ bowl-o-spaghetti for lunch. Yum!

  29. Great tips! thanks for sharing!

  30. Awesome tutorial!! Husband and I always go back and forth about yes/no oil? The argument is finally put to rest. NO! :)

  31. Awesome tutorial Sommer! I think there is a lot of confusion around this, so it will be super helpful! gotta love a great pot of pasta!

  32. Great tips!!! And I love using pasta water in my sauces! :)

  33. Love the tutorial. What pots are you using?

  34. Great tutorial!! It’s not as easy as it looks…

  35. Good tips! Al dente cooked pasta is the best!

  36. I LOVE pasta! What great tips!!

  37. Now these pasta cookin tips are PERFECT!! Thank you for this :)

  38. Love that cookware, and this tutorial. I remember seeing my mom’s friend throw pasta on the wall, I thought she was bananas crazy.

  39. So it’s not throw on wall and see if it sticks? Your way seems wiser….