38 Tips On How To Cook Pasta Like An Italian

How to cook pasta perfectly is very simple, and Italians have mastered it for centuries by eating it daily. Making pasta is, for Italians, an essential skill we learn from a young age, passing our knowledge from generation to generation. Here you find 20 tips and tricks to make any pasta or spaghetti perfect each time.

Jump to:

• Before you start
• Boiling water
• How much pasta per person
• Best pasta shapes and brands
• Cooking spaghetti noodles
• Cooking pasta
• How to know when pasta is done and al dente
• How to keep noodles from sticking
• For best results and thicker sauces
• Italian rules on pasta
• The most commonly asked questions
• 📋How To Cook Pasta Like An Italian

Before you start

1. Pasta should be boiled in salted water; adding salt to the pasta after doesn't work
2. Add kosher salt as soon as you put the pan with water on the heat, so you don't forget
3. Use 1 tablespoon of salt per 4 quarts of water (4 liters), which should be enough for 1 pound of pasta (500 gr)
4. If you don't remember adding salt to the pasta water, taste the water.
5. Make sure you use a large pot with enough water. You do not want the water to overflow once you put in the pasta. The pasta should be able to move around the water freely
6. The pasta should be seasoned with its sauce as soon as it is drained. Make sure the sauce is ready while the pasta cooks

Boiling water

7. Fill the pan with cold water. There is no need to boil the water in a boiler
8. If you put the lid on the pan, the water will get to the boiling point faster
9. Do not add oil to the water; it is completely unnecessary
10. The water should be rolling boil before you put the pasta

How much pasta per person

11. For the Italians, pasta is a separate course from the main, so we normally cook 3.5 oz - 100 gr per person. This amount is enough if pasta is not the only course served.
12. If pasta is the main and sole course, you can increase it to 5 to 7 oz - 150 to 200 gr per person. If you are feeding teenage boys, increase exponentially to their age.

Best pasta shapes and brands

13. It is important to buy good quality pasta and make sure the pasta is made with durum wheat otherwise; it will never be al dente
14. Before you throw away the package, read the suggested cooking time
15. Each dry pasta shape is best served with a specific sauce depending on texture and ingredients. You can find out about the best combination on Eataly: The Ultimate Pasta Guide

16. Use a good pasta brand. My favorites are (in this order): Rummo, Garofalo, De Cecco. Barilla is my least favorite one but better than any other unknown brands
17. Check the pasta cooking time in the pasta packages; for pasta al dente, you should cook one minute less than the recommended cooking time

Cooking spaghetti noodles

18. If you are cooking spaghetti, make sure the pot is large enough
19. Once the spaghetti are added to the boiling water, stir them immediately until they bend and are completely submerged in the boiling water.

Cooking pasta

19. When you add the pasta, the water may stop boiling as the pasta lowers the water temperature. Put the lid on the pan until the water starts boiling again
20. Once the water boils, remove the lid otherwise, the foam will overflow from the pan
21. Stir the pasta from time to time with a wooden spoon to make sure the pasta doesn't stick to each other or to the bottom of the pan
22. Keep the heat high, so the water boils all the time, but not too high as it could overflow

How to know when pasta is done and al dente

23. As a good rule of thumb, always cook the pasta 1 minute less than the recommended cooking time on the package

I hope you remembered to read it and you don’t have to go fishing for the package in the garbage.

24. Taste the pasta; it should be soft but chunky and with a firm consistency in the center, not hard but firm
25. Fresh homemade pasta only needs to cook for 3 minutes
26. Once you turn off the heat and the water stop boiling, drain the pasta immediately
27. Keep some of the cooking water aside; this water is full of starch and can thicken the sauce
28. You should never leave the pasta floating in hot water if it is not boiling

How to keep noodles from sticking

29. Season the drained pasta immediately and stir.
30. If, for whatever reason, the sauce is not ready, season the pasta with little olive oil and stir
31. Once the pasta is ready and seasoned, it has to be served and eaten immediately

For best results and thicker sauces

32. To better incorporate your sauce with the pasta, leave the sauce in the pan where it cooks and add the pasta.
33. Stir the sauce and the pasta on low heat for an extra minute; that is why you should cook the pasta 1 minute less than on the package directions
34. To make a thicker sauce without adding any cream, add a couple of spoons of the starchy water you put aside
35. Whatever favorite sauce you are serving with your pasta, freshly black pepper will always add an extra special touch

Italian rules on pasta

• No parmesan cheese or any other cheese in pasta with seafood; its flavor is too strong and will overpower the taste of fresh seafood. You can sprinkle toasted grated breadcrumbs or almonds instead
• Traditionally chicken is never served with pasta as it was considered a peasant meal, and the chicken too refined to be served with it
• If you have pasta leftover, store it in the fridge in an airtight container and fry your pasta "pasta a frittata" the next day

For all the pasta recipes, look up the category:

• Pasta with meat or seafood
• Pasta with vegetables

If you want to make fresh pasta at home, you can find the recipe: Homemade Italian pasta recipe

The most commonly asked questions

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