How to Boil Dried Pasta Properly
Most people pull pasta from the water too late or leave it too bland. You are aiming for that specific moment when the bite is firm but no longer chalky in the center.
Salt is your only seasoning chance.
The pasta will only absorb salt while it cooks in the water; once it is drained, the sauce sits on the surface, so do not be shy with the salt.
- Large stockpot (at least 6 quarts)
- Long-handled pasta fork or tongs
- Colander
What goes in.
- 1 lbdried durum wheat pasta
- 1/4 cupkosher salt
- 6 quartswater
Cooking in the Sauce
Pull the pasta out of the water while it is still underdone and toss it directly into your simmering sauce with a splash of the starchy cooking water to finish the final minute.
The method.
Heat the water
Fill your pot with at least 6 quarts of cold water. Bring it to a hard, rolling boil over high heat.
Add the salt
Once the water is boiling, add the salt. It should taste distinctly salty, similar to sea water.
Submerge the pasta
Drop the pasta into the center of the pot. Stir immediately to prevent the noodles from sticking together while they are still rigid.
Watch the clock
Consult the package for the lower range of the recommended time, then set your timer for two minutes less than that.
Test the texture
Bite a piece of pasta. If there is a thin, opaque white ring in the center, it is ready to be moved to the sauce.
Transfer
Use your tongs to move the pasta directly to your pan of sauce, or drain it while reserving one cup of the starchy water for thinning the sauce.
Other turns to take.
Pasta all'assassina style
Instead of boiling, sear the dry pasta in a flat pan with olive oil before gradually adding simmering tomato water to cook it.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Do not add oil to the water; it prevents the sauce from clinging to the pasta later.
Keep the lid off once the pasta is added to keep the water at a steady, aggressive boil.
If you are not using the pasta immediately, spread it on a tray with a thin coating of olive oil so it does not clump.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why is my pasta always mushy?
You are likely waiting until it feels soft to the touch before draining. It should still have a noticeable resistance to your teeth when you pull it from the heat.
How much water is too little?
If you use too little water, the starch concentration becomes too high, which leads to a sticky, gummy texture on the surface of the pasta.
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