How To Boil Pasta (Boiled Pasta)

Olana

Let me show you how to boil pasta perfectly in a pot on the stovetop, or in the microwave. This boiled pasta recipe is simple, quick, and cooks in just 12 minutes or less. Boiling pasta is easy, and in this post, I will show you how to, how long to cook, and answer frequently asked questions.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 2

Cook Time 12

Total Time 14

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American, British, Global, Italian

Servings

Calories 464 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

500g (1lb) Pasta
3 litres Water
1 tablespoon Salt or to taste

Instructions

Here's how to boil pasta on the stove:
Add water to a deep pot and boil on the stovetop on medium heat.
Closing the pot with a lid will make the water boil quicker.
When the water starts to boil, add salt, stir then add the pasta.
Don't cover the pot while boiling pasta.
After about five minutes of cooking, stir the pasta again to avoid it sticking together or to the pot.
Taste the pasta to check for doneness and when the pasta is cooked to how you like it, drain it in a colander.
It's best served immediately.

Notes

Tips

Use a big pot that'll conveniently fit the water and pasta. Using a small saucepan can cause the pasta to boil over.
Pasta requires a lot of water to cook. The pasta has to be immersed in boiling water to cook evenly. You will require at least 3 liters of water per 500g/1lb of pasta.
Make sure water is boiling before adding pasta.
Wait till the water starts to boil before adding salt. This is due to two factors: water with no salt has a lower boiling point than water with salt. Thus, it will boil quicker. Also, salt absorbs more quickly in hot water. Non-soluble salt crystals in cold water can leave little white dots on the cookware.

How Long To Boil Pasta

How long to boil pasta depends on the type, if long pasta, or short pasta. Below is a guide to follow when cooking pasta:

For long pasta like spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, and tagliatelle, how long to cook it is between 8-12 minutes.

For short pasta like fusilli, penne, rotini, and macaroni, it takes 6-8 minutes.

I recommend following the manufacturers cooking time on the packaging using the lower end of the cooking time, and then checking for doneness and if need be, adding more time as required. It's best to be cautious as undercooking is better as it can be fixed than overcooking it.

Nutrition

Calories: 464kcalCarbohydrates: 93gProtein: 16gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.2gSodium: 1789mgPotassium: 279mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gCalcium: 50mgIron: 2mg

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