How to Cook Pasta Perfectly
Most people overcook their pasta and undersalt their water. These two mistakes are the difference between rubbery, bland noodles and the kind of pasta you'd get at a good Italian restaurant. Here's how to get it right every single time.
Total time: 15 min · Servings: 2 portions
Ingredients
- 200g dried pasta (any shape)
- At least 2 litres of water per 200g of pasta
- 1 heaped tbsp salt per litre of water (about 15g per litre — yes, this much)
- Your sauce of choice (ready before the pasta is done)
Instructions
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Boil a large pot of water: Use at least 2 litres of water per 200g of pasta. A bigger pot is always better — the pasta needs room to move freely. Cover with a lid to boil faster.
Tip: Pasta releases starch as it cooks. Too little water means the starch concentrates and the pasta sticks together. -
Salt aggressively: When the water hits a rolling boil, add salt — about 1 heaped tablespoon per litre. Stir it in. Taste the water: it should taste like the sea.
Tip: This is the ONLY chance to season the pasta itself. Salty water = flavourful pasta. Unsalted water = bland pasta that no sauce can fix. -
Add pasta and stir: Add the pasta all at once and stir immediately to prevent sticking. Stir again after 30 seconds and once more at the 2-minute mark.
Tip: Don't add oil to the water — it coats the pasta and prevents sauce from adhering later. -
Cook to al dente: Cook for 1–2 minutes LESS than the package time. Start tasting at the minimum time. Al dente means the pasta has a slight firmness when you bite through the centre — not hard, not soft, but with a barely perceptible resistance.
Tip: The pasta will continue cooking when you add it to the sauce. Taking it out slightly underdone ensures it's perfect by the time it reaches the plate. -
Save pasta water: Before draining, scoop out at least 200ml of pasta water into a mug. This starchy water is liquid gold for making sauces silky and helping them cling to the pasta.
Tip: Professional chefs use pasta water in every single sauce. It emulsifies oil-based sauces, loosens thick sauces, and helps everything come together. -
Finish in the sauce: Don't just dump sauce on top of drained pasta. Transfer the pasta directly from the pot into the sauce pan using tongs or a spider strainer. Toss for 1–2 minutes over medium heat, adding splashes of pasta water until the sauce coats every strand.
Tip: This is the step most home cooks skip — and it's the most important one. Finishing the pasta IN the sauce is what makes restaurant pasta taste different from home pasta.
Pro Tips
- Never rinse pasta after draining (unless making cold pasta salad). Rinsing washes off the surface starch that helps sauce adhere.
- Different shapes suit different sauces: thin sauces (aglio e olio) → long pasta (spaghetti). Chunky sauces (bolognese, pesto) → short pasta with ridges (rigatoni, penne rigate) that trap the pieces.
- Fresh pasta cooks in 2–4 minutes. Dried pasta cooks in 8–12 minutes. Don't use the same timing for both.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much salt do I really need for pasta water?
About 15g (1 heaped tablespoon) per litre of water. The water should taste noticeably salty — like the sea. Most of this salt stays in the water; the pasta absorbs only a small amount. This is NOT the same as adding salt to the final dish.
What does al dente mean?
Al dente (Italian for 'to the tooth') means the pasta is cooked through but still has a slight firmness when bitten. Cut a piece in half — you should see a tiny lighter-coloured dot in the centre. That dot disappears as the pasta finishes in the sauce.
Why does my pasta stick together?
Three possible causes: (1) not enough water — use at least 2 litres per 200g; (2) not stirring during the first 2 minutes when starch is most active; (3) adding oil to the water (this coats the pasta and actually makes sauce adhesion worse, not better).
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