This is the only guide you'll need for how to cook pasta perfectly at home. Cooking pasta is just throwing it into boiling water right? Well, yes but the tips and tricks in this guide will make sure it is the BEST it can be. The perfect amount of water and salt make all the difference. Just one read through and you'll be good to go!
Hi! I have been meaning to write this post up for so long. It seems almost too basic but I promise, you will learn something really helpful. I have cooked A LOT of pasta and have come to the perfect ratio of salt to water. But not only that, I have complied every tip and trick for you to cook the absolute best pasta you can.
From warming plates to finishing the pasta off IN the sauce, this is your one stop perfect pasta cooking guide! I will keep it as concise as I can for you, simple steps and useful info only! Perfect al dente pasta coming right up.
Jump to:
- Amount of pasta per person
- How much water to boil pasta in
- How much salt to add to pasta cooking water
- How long do you boil pasta for?
- How to boil pasta perfectly
- Why do we save some pasta water before draining?
- Finishing the pasta IN the sauce
- What NOT to do
- Finishing touches
- Now you'll need some sauces!
- Recipe
- Comments
Amount of pasta per person
I weigh my pasta portions which might seem like an unnecessary step but it's SO helpful. It's the best way to get the perfect sauce to pasta ratio and also no guess work.
Dried pasta - 100 grams per person
Fresh pasta - 150 grams per person
Why do you need less dried pasta to start?
Dried pasta will take on a lot of liquid and bulk up so you need less of it to start as the weight will change a lot more than fresh pasta.
How much water to boil pasta in
Lots of recipes state, 'boil pasta in a large pot of water' (not helpful) or a really common amount is 4 quarts per pound of pasta. To me, this is too much water and let me explain why. Pasta gives off starch into the water which is so useful to add to a sauce. It helps pasta sauce thicken and cling to the pasta. So you don't want lots of water.
So we want really starchy water. If we use a lot of water the starch won't be very concentrated and it will lose it's magical powers. Less water is better.
The ratio I like is 2.5 quarts (pretty much 2.5 litres) for 400 grams pasta. That is enough for four people. If you like to cook a pound of pasta at a time then 3 quarts is good.
How much salt to add to pasta cooking water
Well salted water is the KEY to a fantastic pasta dish. This is not quite as simple as the water calculation and that is because it really comes down to the kind of salt you use. It also comes down to personal preference too so you might want to experiment a bit each time you boil some pasta.
If you can stomach a mouthful of your pasta water, you probably haven't salted it enough! I have learnt a lot about salting water from Samin Nosrat and her book and series Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat.
I use a basic iodized table salt as I don't want to waste good quality salt in the water. For four people, 400 grams pasta, 2.5 quarts of water, I use 1.5 tablespoons of plain salt. If you are using kosher salt you might need to use more as it isn't as salty but start with 1.5 and up it next time if you need.
Why is salt important in pasta water?
Simple. Pasta has no salt in it. Pasta is made from either flour and eggs or flour and water. It is actually a really bland food! Yes, you can make a perfectly seasoned delicious sauce but you are still adding a really plain un-salted food into it.
Salting the pasta water is your one chance to get some flavor INTO the pasta. You will actually be shocked how much of a difference salting your water correctly makes. It is honestly the difference between a good and great finished dish.
How long do you boil pasta for?
We want al dente pasta but every pasta shape is different. When you look at the cooking time on a packet of dry pasta, I always do a minute less. That means you can simmer the cooked pasta IN your sauce at the end and it will still be perfectly al dente.
What about fresh pasta?
Fresh pasta takes a much shorter amount of time. Here are some guides for cook times, you will want to check most of them after 2 mins to see. It depends a lot on the thickness and like dried shapes, different shapes of pasta take different times.
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this link to you, so you can come back to it later!
Fresh pappardelle - 2 - 3 minutes.
Orecchiette - 3 - 4 minutes (homemade durum wheat shapes are pretty hard to overcook)
Fresh ravioli - 5 - 6 minutes
If you want to make some homemade pasta I have so many recipes and guides for whatever type of pasta you feel like! Use my Easy Homemade Pasta Dough as your perfect base. Then check out my shapes and guides section to pick a shape!
How to boil pasta perfectly
ONE: Get your water to a rolling boil on a high heat and add your salt.
TWO: Add your pasta to the salted water. If cooking spaghetti drop it in like this and wait 30 seconds or so before easing it down into the water. Do not break it up!
THREE: Boil the pasta. I always undercook dried pasta by a minute from package directions.
FOUR: Just before transferring pasta to sauce or draining, reserve a cup of cooking water.
SIX: I transfer the cooked pasta directly from the water into the sauce with tongs (or a spider strainer for short shapes).
FIVE: If your sauce isn't quite ready then toss a knob of butter through. It stops it over cooking and sticking. I learnt this trick from Recipe Tin Eats!
Why do we save some pasta water before draining?
Pasta water is called liquid gold for a reason. The starch released from the pasta into the water thickens the sauce and helps the sauce cling to and coat the pasta perfectly.
Finishing the pasta IN the sauce
Do you know what I personally believe to be a crime against pasta? Serving a sauce on top of naked pasta. Can we please not do that!! Finishing pasta in a sauce gives it a chance to take on flavor and just makes a better eating experience.
I undercook dried pasta by a minute for this reason and transfer the cooked pasta straight into the sauce. GENTLY bubble away the pasta in the sauce for a good 2 - 3 minutes.
What NOT to do
Rinse pasta - not before, not after, just NO!
Add salt to water before it boils - this can actually damage your pots.
Add olive oil to pasta water - this is pointless and achieves nothing other than wasting olive oil!
Serve naked pasta - Please don't serve a sauce on top of plain/naked pasta. You want the pasta to be coated in the sauce so ALWAY add the drained pasta into the pan with the sauce.
Finishing touches
- Warming the plates or bowls. Pasta gets cold really quick so this is a game changer if cooking for guests for a dinner party. I put my bowls in a warm oven when pasta is cooking, even just at 120f (50c).
- Have everything ready. Make sure table is set, drinks filled and everyone is ready to eat! Pasta cools and also sauces can dry up fast so serving quickly is key!
- Get a microplane for grating fresh parmesan cheese at the table.
Now you'll need some sauces!
Make sure you check out my recipe section for all sorts of delicious pasta recipes to try. Here are three simple sauces to try to test out your (hopefully improved) pasta cooking. My new Beef Short Rib Ragu is to die for or for something much quicker go for my Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta. Try my Ragu Bianco (white bolognese) or a Classic Pasta Amatriciana.
Did you make this recipe?
I would LOVE it if you could leave a review and star rating down below. Also please tag me on Instagram if you share a photo of the dish!
Recipe
The Ultimate Guide for How to Cook Pasta Perfectly
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this link to you, so you can come back to it later!
Ingredients
- 400 grams dried pasta or 600 grams fresh
- 2.5 quarts water that is pretty much 2.5 litres too
- 1.5 tablespoons salt see notes
Instructions
- Please read the notes above, that is where all the useful info is! You'll only need to read it once.
- Boil the water in a medium or large saucepan.
- Add the salt when the water is boiling, not before.
- Add your pasta and cook, undercooking from the package instructions by a minute.
- Reserve a cup of pasta water right before draining.
- Transfer straight into your pasta sauce and let it gently bubble away for a min or two together. Depending on the sauce I usually add about ¼ cup of pasta water at the same time as the pasta.
Anna says
Thank you for this! So much helpful info