How Long To Cook Perfect Spaghetti Pasta?
Want to know how long to cook perfect spaghetti pasta? Here you’ll find everything you need to know to make boil spaghetti!
I LOVE pasta! I just love it. Fetticini, ravioli, penne, farfalle, lasagna, rigatoni, tortellini, ziti, and of course spaghetti. There are just so many amazing pastas and pasta dishes!
There’s something so delicious and comforting about a bowl of spaghetti. Am I right?!
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Plus, pasta is a good source of fiber, iron, and complex carbs!
Another thing I love about pasta is it has a super long shelf life! It can really last around 20 years or even longer. Just keep it in a dark, dry room and it won’t go bad. Isn’t that amazing?!
I’m working on a bunch of Italian dishes that I know you’ll love. Until then, here are some of my favorite tips about cooking the perfect spaghetti pasta!
Are you ready to cook the best pasta you’ve ever made?! Hold on to your noodles, because these tips will knock your socks off!
I also have a huge list of pasta puns and jokes that would be so fun to say during dinner!
How To Boil Spaghetti
This is the best way to cook dried spaghetti noodles and any other kind of dry pasta. If you want to make fresh homemade pasta, it will have different cooking instructions.
- Start with cold water.
- Use a large pot when cooking spaghetti.
- Put plenty of water in the pot.
- Bring the water to a full rolling boil before you add the pasta.
- To get it to boil faster, turn the stove to a high heat.
- If you need a little more time, turn it to a medium or medium high heat to bring it to boil.
- Add lots of salt to the water. Add one to two tablespoons of salt per every pound of dried pasta (I use one and a half tablespoons of salt). If you add it at the beginning with cold water, it will sink to the bottom and take longer to boil.
- Bring it back to a boil.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water.
- Lower the heat to medium or medium high heat while the pasta is cooking.
- Cook it for one to two minutes less than the package says to cook for al dente pasta. It should be between 8-10 minutes.
- While it’s cooking, stir it back and forth occasionally so it doesn’t stick.
- Start testing the pasta a minute or two before it should be done.
- When it’s ready, drain the pasta from the pot to get rid of the excess water.
- Serve immediately!
You can cook any type of pasta this way. The exact cooking time might be a little longer or shorter depending on which pasta you’re cooking.
Cooking Pasta Tips
- How much water you use depends on how much pasta you’re cooking. You should use 4 quarts of water for every pound of pasta you need.
- Pasta does best if there’s a lot of water in the pot. It needs space to move around.
- You won’t need a big pot when cooking small or short pasta.
- Use the best brand of pasta you can. Get one hundred percent durum wheat pasta. Durum wheat pasta will keep its shape better while cooking. It’s also healthier for you!
- The cooking time for different kinds of pasta will be between 7-14 minutes depending on what kind of pasta you’re cooking.
- It’s important to use a timer! You want the pasta to be perfectly cooked and a timer will help.
- Add enough salt to your pasta when the water is boiling. Adding salt to the water enhances it’s flavor. Use kosher or sea salt or whichever salt you prefer.
- Don’t add butter to your pasta when you’re cooking it. It won’t help at all!
- Do not add oil to the pasta! It will make the sauce slide off the pasta and not stick.
- If you forget to add salt to the water when it’s boiling, add it as soon as you remember.
- Don’t put a lid on your pasta when you’re cooking it.
- Thinner pasta will cook faster than thicker pasta. Angel hair pasta will cook a lot faster than other kinds of pasta.
- Save about a cup of the pasta water and add it to the sauce if you’d like. It helps give the pasta sauce more flavor and it helps the sauce stick to the pasta.
- Don’t rinse your pasta after you cook it! Warm pasta will stick to the sauce and cold pasta won’t. Don’t rinse it even for cold pasta salad.
- It’s better to have the sauce sit for a few minutes than to have the pasta sit. You want the pasta to be as freshly cooked as possible. This will prevent it from sticking.
- You can even cook the sauce before you make the pasta if you’d like!
- Don’t cook your pasta and sauce together! It will taste much better when it’s cooked separately. Trust me on this one!
- If you have leftovers, save the sauce separately. Pasta doesn’t do well heating up if the noodles and sauce have been combined. The noodles soak up the sauce and there won’t be enough.
- Cooked pasta will last 3-5 days in the fridge.
- Start with cold water when you’re cooking pasta. Hot water can change the taste of the pasta.
- If you want to cook two different kinds of pasta at the same time, make sure they close to the same size. This will help them cook as evenly as possible.
How To Cook Pasta Without It Sticking
Follow the instructions I wrote above. Don’t just dump the pasta into the boiling pot and step away. The pasta will stick together. It will also stick to the bottom of the pot.
Here are a few more tips to keep your pasta from sticking.
- Make sure you stir the pasta occasionally to prevent it from sticking together.
- The best utensil to use is the one that looks like a spoon, but it has prongs on it.
- Make sure you use enough water when cooking pasta.
- Don’t add any kind of oil to your pasta, even olive oil! It won’t stop it from sticking to the pot, but the sauce will have a hard time sticking to the pasta.
- Like I said earlier, you want the pasta to be as freshly cooked as possible!
How To Cook Perfect Al Dente Pasta
What does al dente mean? Al dente is perfectly cooked pasta.
Why is cooking pasta al dente so important? It’s healthier for you! Plus, it tastes better. So why not?
To cook pasta al dente, follow the directions above for cooking dried pasta. Put a timer on for the recommended al dente time if it’s written on the package.
If it’s not on the package, cook it two to three minutes less than the recommended time.
It will be between 8 to 10 minutes to cook spaghetti al dente. Check a minute or two before the timer goes off.
If you’re using fresh pasta noodles, it will only take between one to two minutes to cook.
How Do You Know When The Pasta Is Done?
The best way to see if pasta is done, is to taste it. Try a pasta noodle to see if it’s done.
Always taste it before you drain the pasta from the water in case you need to cook it longer.
Try it one or two minutes before you think it’s ready. Test it around a minute later. You can always taste it earlier than a minute if you’re worried.
Keep in mind, that the pasta will keep cooking for a few minutes if it’s put in hot sauce!
How Much Pasta Should I Cook Per Person?
The standard serving of pasta per person is a cup. I always like to have plenty of food when I’m cooking for a group.
I usually take the number of people attending and multiply it by 1.25 to 1.5. That way I’ll have plenty of pasta for everyone!
4 ounces of dry pasta (about 1 cup dry pasta) is about 2 1/2 cups cooked pasta. 4 ounces of dry spaghetti, fettuccine, angel hair, or linguine (about 1 inch diameter of dry pasta) is about 2 cups of cooked pasta.
So a standard one pound box of pasta will feed about 6-8 adults.
The Bottom Line
It’s not hard to cook amazing pasta, but there are a few things you should remember to have the best results!
Cooking perfect spaghetti noodles takes between 8-10 minutes. Use a big pot of water. Don’t add oil to your pasta. Make sure you watch your timer!
Make sure to add plenty of salt to the water when it’s boiling. Starchy water will give the pasta the best flavor.
Don’t rinse the pasta when it’s done cooking. Taste it a minute or so before it’s supposed to be done cooking to see if it’s a la dente. And serve it immediately.
I know these tips will help you make the best pasta you’ve ever made!
FAQs
How long do you boil spaghetti for?
It will be between 8 to 10 minutes to cook spaghetti al dente. Check a minute or two before the timer goes off.
If you’re using fresh pasta, it will only take between one to two minutes to cook.
How do you know when spaghetti is done boiling?
The best way to see if pasta is done, is to taste it. Take a bite of a piece of pasta to see if it’s done.
Always taste it before you drain the pasta in case you need to cook it longer.
Try it one or two minutes before you think it’s ready. Test it around a minute later. You can always taste it earlier than a minute if you’re worried.
Keep in mind, that the pasta will keep cooking for a few minutes if it’s put in hot sauce.
How should I boil my pasta?
The exact boiling time will be between 7-14, but it will depend on what kind of pasta you’re cooking. Spaghetti takes between 8-10 minutes.
How do I boil spaghetti better?
Use a big pot of water. Don’t add oil to your pasta. Make sure you watch your timer!
Make sure to add plenty of salt to the water when it’s boiling.
Don’t rinse the pasta when it’s done cooking. Taste it a minute or so before it’s supposed to be done cooking to see if it’s a la dente. And serve it immediately.
What are the steps to boiling spaghetti?
Start with cold water.
Use a large pot when cooking spaghetti.
Put plenty of water in the pot.
Bring the water to a full rolling boil before you add the pasta.
To get it to boil faster, turn the stove to a high heat.
If you need a little more time, turn it to a medium or medium high heat to bring it to boil.
Add lots of salt to the water. Add one to two tablespoons of salt per every pound of dried pasta (I use one and a half tablespoons of salt). If you add it at the beginning with cold water, it will sink to the bottom and take longer to boil.
Bring it back to a boil.
Add the pasta to the boiling water.
Lower the heat to medium or medium high heat while the pasta is cooking.
Cook it for one to two minutes less than the package says to cook for al dente pasta. It should be between 8-10 minutes.
While it’s cooking, stir it back and forth occasionally so it doesn’t stick.
Start testing the pasta a minute or two before it should be done.
When it’s ready, drain the pasta from the pot to get rid of the excess water.
Serve immediately!
Final Thoughts On How Long To Cook Spaghetti:
I hope you like these tips and trick about cooking spaghetti noodles as much as I do! Let me know what you think in the comments.
