This site uses only a few technical cookies necessary for its operation. By continuing to browse, you accept their use.
To find out more...
To find out more...
How to cook pasta properly
Here is some advice for pasta that's properly cooked and doesn't stick.
1.16 M 3.7/5 (2,824 reviews)
25 min.
Easy
150 g
3 IngredientsLast modified on: July 18th 2019
For 150 g, you will need:
4 cups + 3 tablespoons 
2⁄3 cup Pasta
½ tablespoon 
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 15 min.
Cooking: 7 min.
All in all: 25 min.
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: 19:10.Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 10 min.
Boil a large pan of water.
When boiling, salt with a tablespoon of coarse salt for 2 litres water.
A large quantity of water is needed to prevent pasta from sticking on the bottom of the pan.
If you like precise numbers, here is the 1-10-100 rule: 1 litre water, to 10 g salt, to 100 g pasta.
When boiling, salt with a tablespoon of coarse salt for 2 litres water.
A large quantity of water is needed to prevent pasta from sticking on the bottom of the pan.
If you like precise numbers, here is the 1-10-100 rule: 1 litre water, to 10 g salt, to 100 g pasta.
Stage 2 - 1 min.
When water comes back to the boil, add pasta all at once.
Stage 3
For cooking time, very important, here is a tip: If you use a pasta box or bag where you can read in Italian, cook the exact indicated time (here 6 minutes).
Stage 4
Otherwise, decrease 1 minute from the indicated cooking time (here 12 - 1 = 11 minutes).
So you will be sure to have perfectly cooked pasta, call by the Italians, who are the world masters of pasta since Marco Polo, "al dente"
So you will be sure to have perfectly cooked pasta, call by the Italians, who are the world masters of pasta since Marco Polo, "al dente"
Stage 5 - 7 min.
Stir and leave to cook uncovered for the time indicated on the pasta packet (usually 8-9 minutes, but it depend on type of pasta).
The best way is to taste near end of cooking. It's very important not to overcook pasta, otherwise it becomes too soft and unpleasant.
Italians, pasta masters since Marco Polo, call this ideal texture "al dente".
During cooking, stir once or twice to prevent pasta sticking.
The best way is to taste near end of cooking. It's very important not to overcook pasta, otherwise it becomes too soft and unpleasant.
Italians, pasta masters since Marco Polo, call this ideal texture "al dente".
During cooking, stir once or twice to prevent pasta sticking.
Stage 6 - 2 min.
After this time, taste, and if it's OK, remove pasta from water immediately and transfer to a strainer to drain, or pour the whole panful into a colander or strainer.
Chefs will tell you that it's better to remove pasta from water, instead of pouring everything into a strainer, because this keeps the gluten (released during cooking) in the water instead of on the pasta, and it's this gluten that makes it sticky.
Chefs will tell you that it's better to remove pasta from water, instead of pouring everything into a strainer, because this keeps the gluten (released during cooking) in the water instead of on the pasta, and it's this gluten that makes it sticky.
Stage 7 - 1 min.
When pasta is drained, discard cooking water and put pasta back into the pan.
Stage 8 - 1 min.
If you plan to use pasta right away, it's ready.
If not, add a tablespoon of olive oil, mix well, cover and leave to stand, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Note: because it's kept hot and covered, pasta will continue cooking, so you should not keep it too long.
If not, add a tablespoon of olive oil, mix well, cover and leave to stand, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Note: because it's kept hot and covered, pasta will continue cooking, so you should not keep it too long.
Remarks
It's quite surprising to see how many ways of preparing and serving pasta there are, and at the same time how great a simple pasta dish can be: a pan of spaghetti, a dash of olive oil, some grated Parmesan, what more do we need? hummm, oh yes, a good glass of Italian wine perhaps...
Keeping: Several days in the fridge, in a closed jar.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 20 RDI=7 % | 100 RDI=10 % | 0 | 480 RDI=20 % | 2,000 RDI: 20 % |
| Per 100 g | 1 RDI=1 % | 8 RDI=1 % | 0 | 40 RDI=2 % | 170 RDI: 2 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 150 g : 0.20 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Water
Like these other recipes: Classic French white bread, Provençal braised carrots, Sausage and mashed potatoes, Kouign-amann, Butter cream, ... See them all 136
Pasta
Like these other recipes: Pasta with cherry tomatoes, olives and feta cheese, Ham pasta bake, Pasta with mushrooms, Penne with Mushrooms, Pasta with pesto and preserved tomatoes, ... See them all 16
Coarse salt
Like these other recipes: Stock-pot fish , Fish in a salt crust, How to prepare spinach, French bean salad with vinaigrette , Salmon marinated like herring, ... See them all 16
Other recipes you may also like
How to succeed in making sabayon (syllabub)
A sabayon is a delicious and delicate preparation based on egg yolks and sugar, with a liquid added (wine, alcohol, fruit juice, etc), which is then whipped in a bain-marie until it is both light and smooth. Usually sabayon is sweet (syllabub), but you can make it savoury, in which case there is...November 12th 2017942 K 54 20 min.
How to heat milk without it catching on the bottom of the pan
Very often when you heat milk in a saucepan, it forms at the bottom of the pan (especially if the milk boiled) a sticky and brown bottom of milk that burned and attached. To avoid this here is a very simple and very effective tip.February 21th 2011259 K 24.2 1 min.
Pains briochés aux raisins
This classic French "viennoiserie" is a sweet bun containing confectioner's custard (crème pâtissière) and rum-soaked raisins. It demands a bit of skill, but is not too complicated.September 12th 2018146 K4.8 2 hours 40 min.
Endive and beer soup
For this soup, the endives (chicory) and onions are cooked gently together first before adding the vegetable stock and beer. The endives and beer give the soup a hint of bitterness and a unique flavour.January 12th 201488 K4.4 1 hour 5 min.
Stuffed prunes
Stuffed prunes are a sweetmeat made with halved dried prunes sandwiched together around a morsel of marzipan flavoured with Armagnac.July 18th 201844 K 20 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-07-27)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe (as 11 people already do)
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.