Boiling Pasta the Right Way
Use a large pot with at least six quarts of water, salt it until it tastes like the sea, and drop the pasta only when the water is at a rolling boil. Stir immediately to prevent clumping and pull the pasta from the water a minute before the box says it should be finished, finishing it directly in your sauce.
Water volume is your best friend.
Pasta needs room to move; if you crowd the pot, the starch releases too quickly and turns the water into glue, making the noodles stick together.
- 8-quart stockpot
- long-handled tongs or pasta fork
- colander
What goes in.
- 1 lbdried pasta
- 6 qtwater
- 3 tbspkosher salt
Season the environment, not the bowl
The water must be seasoned heavily before the pasta touches it, as this is your only chance to salt the interior of the noodle.
The method.
Fill the pot
Fill your pot with six quarts of cold water. Do not start with hot water from the tap, as it can contain sediment from your pipes.
Bring to a boil
Cover the pot to reach a boil faster. Once the water is jumping, remove the lid and add the salt.
Drop the pasta
Add the pasta all at once. Stir it for the first thirty seconds so the noodles don't fuse together as the starch begins to swell.
Watch the clock
Check the texture two minutes before the suggested cooking time. You are looking for a firm bite, known as al dente.
Save the liquid
Before draining, dip a measuring cup into the pot and reserve a cup of the cloudy, starchy water to loosen your sauce later.
Drain and finish
Drain the pasta quickly and immediately toss it into the pan with your warm sauce. The starch on the surface of the pasta will act as an emulsifier to bind the sauce to the noodles.
Other turns to take.
Fresh Pasta
Fresh egg pasta cooks in two to three minutes and does not require as much water volume as dried pasta.
Oil in water
Avoid adding oil to the water; it creates a slick surface on the noodle that prevents the sauce from adhering properly.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Do not rinse your pasta after draining; you are washing away the starch that helps the sauce grip the noodle.
If using a heavy sauce like bolognese, you need less pasta water; if using a light oil-based sauce, you need more.
If the water isn't boiling hard when you add the pasta, the starch will gelatinize and create a gummy texture.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why does my pasta always stick together?
You either didn't use enough water, you didn't stir it enough in the first minute, or the water wasn't at a true boil when you dropped it.
Can I reuse the pasta water?
Only if you are cooking multiple batches of the same type of pasta immediately. After two rounds, the water becomes too starchy and will make the pasta taste muddy.
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