How to Boil Dried Pasta
Boil a large pot of heavily salted water, drop in the pasta, and stir immediately to prevent clumping. Cook until it reaches the texture you prefer, typically a minute or two less than the package instructions, then finish it directly in your sauce.
Salt is your only seasoning opportunity
The water should taste like the sea before the pasta hits it. Use a large pot so the water temperature doesn't plummet when the pasta goes in.
- 8-quart stockpot
- long-handled tongs or pasta fork
- colander
What goes in.
- 1 lbdried pasta of choice
- 4 quartscold water
- 2 tbspkosher salt
Sauce-integrated cooking
Transfer the pasta directly from the water to the pan of sauce while it is still slightly firm. The starchy water clinging to the noodles helps the sauce bind to the shape.
The method.
Bring the water to a rolling boil.
Use high heat. Cover the pot with a lid to reach a boil faster, then remove it once the bubbles are vigorous.
Add salt and pasta.
Pour in the salt, then the pasta. Stir immediately for 30 seconds to circulate the noodles so they don't stick to the bottom or each other.
Monitor the texture.
Start tasting the pasta two minutes before the package suggests. You want a firm bite in the center, known as al dente.
Reserve water and drain.
Scoop out half a cup of the starchy, cloudy pasta water. Drain the rest in a colander, but do not rinse the pasta.
Combine.
Toss the pasta into your simmering sauce. Add a splash of the reserved water if the sauce looks too thick.
Other turns to take.
Oil-based finish
If not using a sauce, toss the drained pasta immediately with olive oil, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes to keep it from sticking.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Never add oil to the boiling water; it creates a film on the pasta that prevents the sauce from sticking.
If your pasta is clumped after draining, you waited too long to toss it with sauce.
Use a pot large enough that the pasta can move freely; if it's too crowded, the temperature drops too far.
The ones that keep coming up.
Should I rinse the pasta after draining?
No. The starch on the surface is necessary to help the sauce cling to the noodles.
How do I know if it's done?
Bite into a piece. There should be no chalky white center, but it should still offer resistance against your teeth.
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