How Long to Cook Pasta Al Dente?
Cooking time
- Pasta al dente
- 10 min
Most dried pasta is al dente in about 10 minutes: how much water and salt, when to taste, and why to save the cooking water. Free pasta timer.
Method
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil — about 1 litre for every 100 g of pasta (4 quarts per pound) — and salt it well (around 10 g per litre, 1½ tablespoons per gallon).
- Add the pasta, stir for the first minute so it doesn't stick, and start the timer.
- Taste a piece a minute before the end. Drain, keeping a cupful of the cooking water.
Tips
- Cooking times vary by shape and brand: check the packet and adjust with + and −. Fresh pasta needs only 2–4 minutes.
- Skip the oil in the water — it stops the sauce from clinging.
- The starchy cooking water loosens and thickens a sauce; add a splash when you combine them.
- For the best result, finish the pasta in the sauce for the last minute.
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