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[Explore Stack Internal](https://stackoverflow.co/internal/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=cooking-community&utm_campaign=side-bar&utm_content=explore-teams-compact-popover) # [Should pasta be started in cold or boiling water?](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water) [Ask Question](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/ask) Asked 7 years, 5 months ago Modified [7 years, 3 months ago](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water?lastactivity "2018-12-11 17:27:10Z") Viewed 66k times This question shows research effort; it is useful and clear 38 Save this question. Show activity on this post. There are two main methods, either putting the strands into water already at boiling point, or putting them in cold water and then putting on the heat. Which method is the best to cook pasta? Does it make a difference if you add pasta to cold or boiling water? - [temperature](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/temperature "show questions tagged 'temperature'") - [food-science](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/food-science "show questions tagged 'food-science'") - [pasta](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/pasta "show questions tagged 'pasta'") [Share](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/q/92888 "Short permalink to this question") Share a link to this question Copy link [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ "The current license for this post: CC BY-SA 4.0") [Improve this question](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/posts/92888/edit) Follow Follow this question to receive notifications [edited Oct 15, 2018 at 4:22](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/posts/92888/revisions "show all edits to this post") [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/68275/zetaprime) [zetaprime](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/68275/zetaprime) 4,3021515 silver badges4040 bronze badges asked Oct 14, 2018 at 9:46 [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/69542/laila) [Laila](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/69542/laila) 1,49366 gold badges2020 silver badges2424 bronze badges 7 - 5 You should mention the type of noodles you would like to cook. The word "pasta" implies Italian wheat or wheat/egg noodles. Douglas Held – [Douglas Held](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/39172/douglas-held "514 reputation") 2018-10-14 14:11:30 +00:00 [Commented Oct 14, 2018 at 14:11](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water#comment146853_92888) - 4 Probably even more important is fresh vs dry pasta. My guess is that you're in a part of the world where most is dry so it's the default, but it's hard to be sure. Cascabel – [Cascabel](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1672/cascabel "58,894 reputation") ♦ 2018-10-14 14:30:32 +00:00 [Commented Oct 14, 2018 at 14:30](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water#comment146855_92888) - 1 I was asking about dried as well as fresh pasta .. Laila – [Laila](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/69542/laila "1,493 reputation") 2018-10-14 16:16:18 +00:00 [Commented Oct 14, 2018 at 16:16](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water#comment146861_92888) - 3 @DrydenLong ... and as everyone knows, spaghetti grows on trees. [youtube.com/watch?v=tVo\_wkxH9dU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVo_wkxH9dU) Ewan Mellor – [Ewan Mellor](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/57317/ewan-mellor "101 reputation") 2018-10-15 22:18:50 +00:00 [Commented Oct 15, 2018 at 22:18](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water#comment146958_92888) - 1 the pasta will end up being rather mushy on the outside from being in the water for too long – even if, on the inside, it is *al dente*. This suggests that the temperature-over-time curve while cooking *does* have an impact on the pasta's texture. In particular, if your stove is exceptionally slow, starting from cold water might not get you as good a result as starting from boiling water does. balu – [balu](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/69917/balu "101 reputation") 2018-10-16 22:18:47 +00:00 [Commented Oct 16, 2018 at 22:18](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water#comment147014_92888) \| [Show **2** more comments](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water "Expand to show all comments on this post") ## 5 Answers 5 Sorted by: [Reset to default](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water?answertab=scoredesc#tab-top) This answer is useful 33 Save this answer. Show activity on this post. For dried pasta it doesn’t really matter if you start with cold or hot water, as most of the time pasta spends in water is for hydration. And once the hydrated starches reach a certain temperature they gelatinize, thus cooking the pasta. When you start with cold water, you should use less water, which is actually a plus... Note: I forgot to mention, you should swirl the pot every couple of minutes to prevent sticking. However, when you’re cooking fresh pasta, you should directly start with boiling water. As it’s already hydrated, you just need gelatinization. As for which you should do for dry pasta, there are benefits to both: - starting from boiling - more consistent timing (and less attention), since you can time from when you add the pasta - works with long shapes like spaghetti and fettuccine, since they'll soften quickly to bend submerge - starting from cold - faster overall - less water to boil, and pasta is already starting to cook by the time it hits a full boil - easier to avoid initial sticking - starchier pasta water, useful for sauces [Share](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/a/92889 "Short permalink to this answer") Share a link to this answer Copy link [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ "The current license for this post: CC BY-SA 4.0") [Improve this answer](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/posts/92889/edit) Follow Follow this answer to receive notifications [edited Oct 16, 2018 at 22:20](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/posts/92889/revisions "show all edits to this post") [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1672/cascabel) [Cascabel](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1672/cascabel)♦ 58\.9k2929 gold badges189189 silver badges331331 bronze badges answered Oct 14, 2018 at 9:56 [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/68275/zetaprime) [zetaprime](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/68275/zetaprime) 4,3021515 silver badges4040 bronze badges 5 - 7 Do you have any interest to cite a source? I have never heard of cold water pasta cooking, except for in energy saving situations like mountaineering. Douglas Held – [Douglas Held](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/39172/douglas-held "514 reputation") 2018-10-14 14:09:52 +00:00 [Commented Oct 14, 2018 at 14:09](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water#comment146852_92889) - 7 A quick Google search yields this, as one of many sources: [seriouseats.com/2013/05/…](https://www.seriouseats.com/2013/05/ask-the-food-lab-can-i-start-pasta-in-cold-water.html) zetaprime – [zetaprime](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/68275/zetaprime "4,302 reputation") 2018-10-14 14:38:25 +00:00 [Commented Oct 14, 2018 at 14:38](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water#comment146856_92889) - 6 The Food Lab article zetaprime linked links to another with even more explanation: [seriouseats.com/2010/05/…](https://www.seriouseats.com/2010/05/how-to-cook-pasta-salt-water-boiling-tips-the-food-lab.html), and from there to Harold McGee's article: [nytimes.com/2009/02/25/dining/…](https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/dining/25curi.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0). It's not at all a new idea, and plenty of prominent writers (as well as plenty of users here) have had great success with it. Cascabel – [Cascabel](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1672/cascabel "58,894 reputation") ♦ 2018-10-14 23:50:26 +00:00 [Commented Oct 14, 2018 at 23:50](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water#comment146883_92889) - 6 I'd suggest editing in some of the benefits of this method, because the boiling tradition is *really* hard to shake. The articles we've linked include plenty to start from. Cascabel – [Cascabel](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1672/cascabel "58,894 reputation") ♦ 2018-10-15 14:37:15 +00:00 [Commented Oct 15, 2018 at 14:37](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water#comment146912_92889) - @Cascabel Agreed. I will add some, and you’re more than welcome to edit. I will cover some of it as I have time during the evenings. zetaprime – [zetaprime](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/68275/zetaprime "4,302 reputation") 2018-10-15 14:58:48 +00:00 [Commented Oct 15, 2018 at 14:58](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water#comment146914_92889) [Add a comment](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water "Use comments to ask for more information or suggest improvements. Avoid comments like “+1” or “thanks”.") \| This answer is useful 38 Save this answer. Show activity on this post. As stated in another answer, Italian tradition is that all pasta is cooked in boiling water. A reasonable explanation for this usage is that **it's easier to get the time right** this way. Pasta is very sensitive to cooking time, and will easily turn from 'al dente' to an overcooked mush if left on the fire a couple of minutes too much. By cooking it in boiling water, you ensure that it cooks in uniform conditions, always at the same temperature, regardless of the starting temperature of the water, the temperature of your kitchen, and the power of your burner. So it is a safer bet that cooking it for the same amount of time will work. In my experience, the time marked on the package is almost always accurate *for pasta cooked in boiling water*. So it gives you a useful reference point, which you don't have if you cook it starting from cold water. [Share](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/a/92900 "Short permalink to this answer") Share a link to this answer Copy link [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ "The current license for this post: CC BY-SA 4.0") [Improve this answer](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/posts/92900/edit) Follow Follow this answer to receive notifications [edited Oct 14, 2018 at 20:36](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/posts/92900/revisions "show all edits to this post") answered Oct 14, 2018 at 18:32 [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/14714/federico-poloni) [Federico Poloni](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/14714/federico-poloni) 1,08711 gold badge1313 silver badges1919 bronze badges 9 - I've never tried cooking from cold, but I *do* pre-soak when I'm making gluten-free pasta .... and it's actually *easier* to get al dente (which is really tough to get with gluten-free pasta) ... but of course, you have to watch it, not leave it alone for the time it says on the package. Joe – [Joe](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/67/joe "83,790 reputation") 2018-10-14 23:21:09 +00:00 [Commented Oct 14, 2018 at 23:21](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water#comment146880_92900) - 1 It's true that the timing is easier, though you still generally have to check toward the end. There are downsides though: you need to boil more water and the pasta isn't getting a head start from the pre-boiling time, so it takes longer and you don't get nice pasta water. It can also be *harder* to prevent sticking, because the starch gels immediately, no chance to rinse any into the water. So overall it definitely works well, but that's not quite the same as saying it *should* be done this way. Cascabel – [Cascabel](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1672/cascabel "58,894 reputation") ♦ 2018-10-15 15:29:47 +00:00 [Commented Oct 15, 2018 at 15:29](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water#comment146920_92900) - 7 @JamieClinton I agree --- that's why my answer does not stop after the first sentence. Federico Poloni – [Federico Poloni](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/14714/federico-poloni "1,087 reputation") 2018-10-15 17:57:24 +00:00 [Commented Oct 15, 2018 at 17:57](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water#comment146946_92900) - 1 When cooking eggs putting them in boiling water also results in a better timing calibration. Peter - Reinstate Monica – [Peter - Reinstate Monica](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/50040/peter-reinstate-monica "1,090 reputation") 2018-10-16 09:13:50 +00:00 [Commented Oct 16, 2018 at 9:13](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water#comment146970_92900) - 2 Be aware that this is not true for high altitudes where the pressure is lower, and thus the boiling point of water drops below 100°C. M.Herzkamp – [M.Herzkamp](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/69903/m-herzkamp "101 reputation") 2018-10-16 13:23:56 +00:00 [Commented Oct 16, 2018 at 13:23](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water#comment146979_92900) \| [Show **4** more comments](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water "Expand to show all comments on this post") This answer is useful 8 Save this answer. Show activity on this post. It depends on the pasta shape: > There are times when you do want to start with a large pot of already-boiling water. The first is when cooking fresh pasta. Because fresh pasta is made with eggs, if you don't start it in boiling water, it won't set properly, causing it to turn mushy or worse, disintegrate as it cooks. > > The second exception is with long, skinny pasta shapes like spaghetti or fettucini. Because they stack together so easily, it's more likely than with other pasta shapes that they will stick together. As the pasta heats and absorbs moisture, starches on its surface gelatinize, becoming sticky, If the strands are stuck together when this happens, they'll fuse together permanently, especially in a smaller pot where you have less room to maneuver them. <https://www.seriouseats.com/2013/05/ask-the-food-lab-can-i-start-pasta-in-cold-water.html> [Share](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/a/92898 "Short permalink to this answer") Share a link to this answer Copy link [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ "The current license for this post: CC BY-SA 4.0") [Improve this answer](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/posts/92898/edit) Follow Follow this answer to receive notifications answered Oct 14, 2018 at 17:53 user50726 [Add a comment](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water "Use comments to ask for more information or suggest improvements. Avoid comments like “+1” or “thanks”.") \| This answer is useful 3 Save this answer. Show activity on this post. **TL;DR please be nice with yourself: only drop pasta in a pot of boiling water (approx 1 liter every 100 grams of pasta)** To the eyes of an Italian, the mere allusion to cooking pasta by dropping it into a pot of cold water is unthinkable. You always need to drop pasta into a pot of boiling water in order to cook it. On the contrary, you'll end up eating a dish of overcooked pasta with an unpleasant gummy consistence. The rule of thumb is approx 1 liter of water for 100 grams of pasta. Another rule of thumb is opting for the best brands, the ones whose plants are settled in the southermost regions of Italy (Campania, Basilicata, Calabria, Puglia, Sicilia, Molise etc.). [Share](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/a/92891 "Short permalink to this answer") Share a link to this answer Copy link [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ "The current license for this post: CC BY-SA 4.0") [Improve this answer](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/posts/92891/edit) Follow Follow this answer to receive notifications [edited Oct 14, 2018 at 23:56](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/posts/92891/revisions "show all edits to this post") [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1672/cascabel) [Cascabel](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1672/cascabel)♦ 58\.9k2929 gold badges189189 silver badges331331 bronze badges answered Oct 14, 2018 at 13:25 [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/69845/user69845) [user69845](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/69845/user69845) 8911 bronze badge 7 - 16 Are you talking about fresh pasta? The question is most likely about dry. And if you're talking about dry, do you have an explanation for this based on something other than strongly held tradition and conventional wisdom? My experience, and that of some pretty serious experts, is that dry pasta can be cooked just as well if not better starting from cold water, and it definitely does not end up overcooked or gummy. Finally, please do not be rude to anyone here, even if you think they're wrong. Cascabel – [Cascabel](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1672/cascabel "58,894 reputation") ♦ 2018-10-14 14:29:06 +00:00 [Commented Oct 14, 2018 at 14:29](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water#comment146854_92891) - 5 Why don’t you just try, cooking pasta starting in cold water? I mean dry pasta zetaprime – [zetaprime](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/68275/zetaprime "4,302 reputation") 2018-10-14 14:58:31 +00:00 [Commented Oct 14, 2018 at 14:58](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water#comment146857_92891) - 2 @zetaprime In this case I have tried cooking pasta from cold water.... not really my experiment, but due to another cook's accident \[cooking-while-distracted\], and that pasta turned out awful. I think it was elbow macaroni for macaroni and cheese, and it was a big gluey mushy mess. Lorel C. – [Lorel C.](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/47201/lorel-c "7,182 reputation") 2018-10-14 19:57:04 +00:00 [Commented Oct 14, 2018 at 19:57](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water#comment146871_92891) - 5 And like I said, I've started it cold (probably at least a dozen varieties, including macaroni) and it works as well as if not better than starting from boiling. It's possible to make good or bad pasta either way. Additional anecdotes about it aren't going to resolve anything; we've pointed out the issues in the answer at this point. Cascabel – [Cascabel](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1672/cascabel "58,894 reputation") ♦ 2018-10-14 23:47:48 +00:00 [Commented Oct 14, 2018 at 23:47](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water#comment146882_92891) - 1 Also, I'm just going to remove all the religion analogy stuff. It's just distracting from the actual points. Cascabel – [Cascabel](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1672/cascabel "58,894 reputation") ♦ 2018-10-14 23:56:25 +00:00 [Commented Oct 14, 2018 at 23:56](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water#comment146884_92891) \| [Show **2** more comments](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water "Expand to show all comments on this post") This answer is useful \-1 Save this answer. Show activity on this post. Actually both given answers and options in the question are wrong. The highest temperature starch needs for hydration is 83°C. Water boils at 100°C, thus you don't need boiling water. Cold water is also wrong, but not because of the pasta, because of the cooking pot. The salt is made of ions which need to connect to other atoms when the salt is dissolving. If the water is cold but you heat up the cooking pot, then the ions might connect to the high energized iron atoms instead of being surrounded by low energized water molecules. Damages to the cooking pot will be visible after 10 years though. In the cooking water the salt is added to prevent starch granules in the pasta to merge with each other instead of swelling during hydration. Because if they merge the pasta lose elasticity and the sugar taste of the starch is less accessible for our tongue, making the pasta taste bad and feel clumsy. For this fact you can allegedly never add too much salt to the boiling water. Rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon for 1 liter of water. There is no rule of thumb for the ration of pasta and water, since you can even cook pasta like a risotto. The best way to cook pasta is to heat water in a cooking pot until you see bubbles at the bottom, then add salt and then add pasta, stir occasionally. Boiling cooking water is for lazy cooks who don't want to stir all the time and cold water cooking is for soaking the pasta when you are low on heating fuel. [Share](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/a/92899 "Short permalink to this answer") Share a link to this answer Copy link [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ "The current license for this post: CC BY-SA 4.0") [Improve this answer](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/posts/92899/edit) Follow Follow this answer to receive notifications answered Oct 14, 2018 at 17:58 [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/69850/harry-pachty) [Harry Pachty](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/69850/harry-pachty) 3922 bronze badges 16 - 11 There are some points in this post that I reckon may be good advice, but also quite a few that seem more like pseudoscientific gobbledygook. “the ions might connect to the high energized iron atoms”... sounds like you're describing *the pot rusting*, but that's not really something you can influence much with temperature. leftaroundabout – [leftaroundabout](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/42398/leftaroundabout "1,942 reputation") 2018-10-14 23:16:59 +00:00 [Commented Oct 14, 2018 at 23:16](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water#comment146879_92899) - 3 I've studied a lil bit of thermodynamics. If your water produces steam, it's at 100 degress C. That being said, this is a new technique to me so I'm going to upvote. You should consider removing the part where you call cooks lazy for using conventional methods. This community is one of the softest most sensitive communities on the internet. Literally any form of negativity will get you downvoted. It's honestly suffocating, but it's best to play the Positive Mental Attitude game till you hit about 1000 reputation. I'd also hate to see the mods remove this unique advice. user63835 – user63835 2018-10-15 14:58:49 +00:00 [Commented Oct 15, 2018 at 14:58](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water#comment146915_92899) - 1 @Joe The top answer in the question you linked contradicts the statement you made. user63835 – user63835 2018-10-15 15:03:21 +00:00 [Commented Oct 15, 2018 at 15:03](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water#comment146917_92899) - 1 @Steve Just a minor note... Water produces steam at 100 degress C... at 1 atmosphere of pressure. At high elevations where the pressure may be lower, water steams at significantly lower temperatures. Beofett – [Beofett](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/7019/beofett "1,005 reputation") 2018-10-15 16:18:59 +00:00 [Commented Oct 15, 2018 at 16:18](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water#comment146929_92899) - 2 @J.ChrisCompton steaming temperature is the same thing as boiling point for this. Basically, once the water gets a certain amount of heat applied to it, it starts to change phase and become a gas. At that point any additional heat just makes it become a gas faster. A rolling boil is just water that's becoming steam at a decent pace for cooking. In thermodynamics this would have to do with the quality of water if you want to look into it more. If you want to actually make the water hotter you'd have to increase pressure. That's what pressure cookers do. user63835 – user63835 2018-10-15 17:20:46 +00:00 [Commented Oct 15, 2018 at 17:20](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water#comment146938_92899) \| [Show **11** more comments](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/92888/should-pasta-be-started-in-cold-or-boiling-water "Expand to show all comments on this post") **[Protected question](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/help/privileges/protect-questions)**. To answer this question, you need to have at least 10 reputation on this site (not counting the [association bonus](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/141648/what-is-the-association-bonus-and-how-does-it-work)). The reputation requirement helps protect this question from spam and non-answer activity. Start asking to get answers Find the answer to your question by asking. 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This question shows research effort; it is useful and clear 38 Save this question. Show activity on this post. There are two main methods, either putting the strands into water already at boiling point, or putting them in cold water and then putting on the heat. Which method is the best to cook pasta? Does it make a difference if you add pasta to cold or boiling water? [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/68275/zetaprime) [zetaprime](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/68275/zetaprime) 4,30215 silver badges40 bronze badges asked Oct 14, 2018 at 9:46 [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/69542/laila) 7 This answer is useful 33 Save this answer. Show activity on this post. For dried pasta it doesn’t really matter if you start with cold or hot water, as most of the time pasta spends in water is for hydration. And once the hydrated starches reach a certain temperature they gelatinize, thus cooking the pasta. When you start with cold water, you should use less water, which is actually a plus... Note: I forgot to mention, you should swirl the pot every couple of minutes to prevent sticking. However, when you’re cooking fresh pasta, you should directly start with boiling water. As it’s already hydrated, you just need gelatinization. As for which you should do for dry pasta, there are benefits to both: - starting from boiling - more consistent timing (and less attention), since you can time from when you add the pasta - works with long shapes like spaghetti and fettuccine, since they'll soften quickly to bend submerge - starting from cold - faster overall - less water to boil, and pasta is already starting to cook by the time it hits a full boil - easier to avoid initial sticking - starchier pasta water, useful for sauces [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1672/cascabel) [Cascabel](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1672/cascabel)♦ 58\.9k29 gold badges189 silver badges331 bronze badges answered Oct 14, 2018 at 9:56 [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/68275/zetaprime) 5 This answer is useful 38 Save this answer. Show activity on this post. As stated in another answer, Italian tradition is that all pasta is cooked in boiling water. A reasonable explanation for this usage is that **it's easier to get the time right** this way. Pasta is very sensitive to cooking time, and will easily turn from 'al dente' to an overcooked mush if left on the fire a couple of minutes too much. By cooking it in boiling water, you ensure that it cooks in uniform conditions, always at the same temperature, regardless of the starting temperature of the water, the temperature of your kitchen, and the power of your burner. So it is a safer bet that cooking it for the same amount of time will work. In my experience, the time marked on the package is almost always accurate *for pasta cooked in boiling water*. So it gives you a useful reference point, which you don't have if you cook it starting from cold water. answered Oct 14, 2018 at 18:32 [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/14714/federico-poloni) 9 This answer is useful 8 Save this answer. Show activity on this post. It depends on the pasta shape: > There are times when you do want to start with a large pot of already-boiling water. The first is when cooking fresh pasta. Because fresh pasta is made with eggs, if you don't start it in boiling water, it won't set properly, causing it to turn mushy or worse, disintegrate as it cooks. > > The second exception is with long, skinny pasta shapes like spaghetti or fettucini. Because they stack together so easily, it's more likely than with other pasta shapes that they will stick together. As the pasta heats and absorbs moisture, starches on its surface gelatinize, becoming sticky, If the strands are stuck together when this happens, they'll fuse together permanently, especially in a smaller pot where you have less room to maneuver them. <https://www.seriouseats.com/2013/05/ask-the-food-lab-can-i-start-pasta-in-cold-water.html> answered Oct 14, 2018 at 17:53 This answer is useful 3 Save this answer. Show activity on this post. **TL;DR please be nice with yourself: only drop pasta in a pot of boiling water (approx 1 liter every 100 grams of pasta)** To the eyes of an Italian, the mere allusion to cooking pasta by dropping it into a pot of cold water is unthinkable. You always need to drop pasta into a pot of boiling water in order to cook it. On the contrary, you'll end up eating a dish of overcooked pasta with an unpleasant gummy consistence. The rule of thumb is approx 1 liter of water for 100 grams of pasta. Another rule of thumb is opting for the best brands, the ones whose plants are settled in the southermost regions of Italy (Campania, Basilicata, Calabria, Puglia, Sicilia, Molise etc.). [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1672/cascabel) [Cascabel](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1672/cascabel)♦ 58\.9k29 gold badges189 silver badges331 bronze badges answered Oct 14, 2018 at 13:25 [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/69845/user69845) 7 This answer is useful \-1 Save this answer. Show activity on this post. Actually both given answers and options in the question are wrong. The highest temperature starch needs for hydration is 83°C. Water boils at 100°C, thus you don't need boiling water. Cold water is also wrong, but not because of the pasta, because of the cooking pot. The salt is made of ions which need to connect to other atoms when the salt is dissolving. If the water is cold but you heat up the cooking pot, then the ions might connect to the high energized iron atoms instead of being surrounded by low energized water molecules. Damages to the cooking pot will be visible after 10 years though. In the cooking water the salt is added to prevent starch granules in the pasta to merge with each other instead of swelling during hydration. Because if they merge the pasta lose elasticity and the sugar taste of the starch is less accessible for our tongue, making the pasta taste bad and feel clumsy. For this fact you can allegedly never add too much salt to the boiling water. Rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon for 1 liter of water. There is no rule of thumb for the ration of pasta and water, since you can even cook pasta like a risotto. The best way to cook pasta is to heat water in a cooking pot until you see bubbles at the bottom, then add salt and then add pasta, stir occasionally. Boiling cooking water is for lazy cooks who don't want to stir all the time and cold water cooking is for soaking the pasta when you are low on heating fuel. answered Oct 14, 2018 at 17:58 [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/69850/harry-pachty) 16 Start asking to get answers Find the answer to your question by asking. [Ask question](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/ask) Explore related questions See similar questions with these tags.