How to Cook Pasta Properly
Pasta is one of the quickest meals there is, and a few small habits make the difference between a bland, clumpy bowl and a glossy, well-seasoned one.
Use a big pan of water
Use a large pan with plenty of water so the pasta can move freely. A common guide is around a litre of water for every 100 g of dried pasta. Too little water and the pasta sticks together and the water turns starchy and gluey.
Salt the water
Pasta absorbs water as it cooks, so salting the water is the only chance to season the pasta itself. Add salt once the water is boiling; it should taste noticeably seasoned. You do not need oil in the water, which mostly floats on top and can stop sauce clinging later.
Keep it boiling and stir
Add the pasta only when the water is at a rolling boil, then stir straight away and a couple of times in the first few minutes, which is when it is most likely to stick. Leave the lid off once it is back at the boil so it does not boil over.
Taste rather than trusting the clock
Start tasting a minute or two before the time on the packet. You are looking for al dente: cooked through but with a slight bite in the centre. If you are going to finish it in a sauce, take it out a minute early because it will keep cooking.
Save some pasta water
Before draining, scoop out a mug of the cooking water. It is salty and full of starch, and a splash added to the sauce helps it emulsify and coat the pasta instead of sliding off.
Finish in the sauce
Do not rinse pasta that you are serving hot; rinsing washes away the surface starch that helps sauce stick. Instead, tip the drained pasta into the pan of sauce and toss over a low heat for a minute with a little pasta water until everything is glossy.
Match shapes and sauces
- Long, thin pasta such as spaghetti suits olive oil, tomato and light cream sauces.
- Ribbons like tagliatelle hold richer, meaty sauces.
- Tubes and shells catch chunky vegetable sauces and are good for bakes.
Leftovers
For pasta salads, rinse briefly in cold water to stop the cooking, then toss with dressing. Leftover sauced pasta reheats well in a pan with a splash of water.
For pasta sauces and more weeknight ideas, see Relish Realm.