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URLhttps://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/cooking-tips-techniques/cooking/cook-pasta
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Meta TitleHow to Cook Pasta Video and Steps
Meta DescriptionHow to cook pasta perfectly. Does your pasta always comes out too sticky, too hard, too mushy? Watch this video to learn how to cook pasta right.
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How to Cook Spaghetti Does your pasta come out too sticky, too hard, or too mushy? Let this video be your guide to cooking it perfectly. By Updated on August 02, 2022 Pasta is a delicious, go-to meal you can throw together in minutes. But cooking it with the "just right" al dente texture—chewy, firm, and fork-tender—takes technique. Follow these simple steps and you'll be nailing it like nonna in no time. Once you've perfected your pasta cooking technique, try your hand at one these delicious, easy-to-make pasta recipes (like b ucatini with kale and ricotta , p asta carbonara , or s hrimp and asparagus fra diavolo ). You can also keep things simple: Drizzle your finished noodles with good-quality olive oil, salt and pepper, and finish with a shower of shaved Parmesan. Whatever type of noodle dish inspires your palette, we promise you'll have a delicious dinner on the table in minutes with this foolproof method. (Pro tip: For best results, use a big stockpot.) What You Need Water Large pot Pasta Salt Tongs Colander Follow These Steps Boil water in a large pot. To prevent pasta from sticking together, use at least 4 quarts of water for every pound of noodles. Salt the water with at least 1 tablespoon, and more is fine. The salty water adds flavor to the pasta. Add pasta. Pour pasta into boiling water. There's no need to break the pasta; it will soften up within 30 seconds and fit into the pot. Stir occasionally. As the pasta starts to cook, stir it well with the tongs so the noodles don't stick to each other (or the pot). Test the pasta by tasting it. Follow the cooking time on the package, but always taste pasta before draining to make sure the texture is right. Pasta cooked properly should be al dente—a little chewy. Drain. Drain cooked pasta well in a colander. If serving it hot, add sauce right away; if you're making a pasta salad, run noodles under cold water to stop the cooking. Was this page helpful? Tell us why!
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Top Stories - [The \#1 Fruit for Brain, Heart, and Gut Health](https://www.realsimple.com/fruit-for-brain-heart-gut-health-11950958) - [Kitchen Trends for 2026](https://www.realsimple.com/nkba-2026-kitchen-trends-report-11953151) - [Best New Books for Spring](https://www.realsimple.com/new-books-everyone-will-be-talking-about-this-spring-11951502) - [What Happens When You Drink Diet Soda Daily?](https://www.realsimple.com/what-happens-when-you-drink-diet-soda-every-day-according-to-registered-dietitians-11950930) # How to Cook Spaghetti Does your pasta come out too sticky, too hard, or too mushy? Let this video be your guide to cooking it perfectly. By [Betty Gold](https://www.realsimple.com/author/betty-gold) ![Betty Gold]() ![Betty Gold](https://www.realsimple.com/thmb/aA4WYs9EGBBC3nVBktLuGOMTncA=/200x200/filters:no_upscale\(\):max_bytes\(150000\):strip_icc\(\)/pancake-secret-ingredient-gluten-stco-1-e8e03be656eb4611afa15b017f4ed715.jpg) [Betty Gold](https://www.realsimple.com/author/betty-gold) Betty Gold is the former senior digital food editor at Real Simple. [Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines](https://www.realsimple.com/about-us-5546943#toc-editorial-guidelines) Updated on August 02, 2022 Pasta is a delicious, go-to meal you can throw together in minutes. But cooking it with the "just right" al dente texture—chewy, firm, and fork-tender—takes technique. Follow these simple steps and you'll be nailing it like *nonna* in no time. Once you've perfected your pasta cooking technique, try your hand at one these delicious, easy-to-make [pasta recipes](https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/popular-ingredients/pasta-recipes) (like b[ucatini with kale and ricotta](https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/bucatini-with-kale-ricotta), p[asta carbonara](https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/pasta-carbonara-0), or s[hrimp and asparagus fra diavolo](https://www.realsimple.com/one-pot-recipes-8405021)). You can also keep things simple: Drizzle your finished noodles with good-quality olive oil, salt and pepper, and finish with a shower of shaved Parmesan. Whatever type of noodle dish inspires your palette, we promise you'll have a delicious dinner on the table in minutes with this foolproof method. (Pro tip: For best results, use a big stockpot.) ## What You Need - Water - Large pot - Pasta - Salt - Tongs - Colander ## Follow These Steps 1. **Boil water in a large pot.** To prevent pasta from sticking together, use at least 4 quarts of water for every pound of noodles. 2. **Salt the water with at least 1 tablespoon, and more is fine.** The salty water adds flavor to the pasta. 3. **Add pasta.** Pour pasta into boiling water. There's no need to break the pasta; it will soften up within 30 seconds and fit into the pot. 4. **Stir occasionally.** As the pasta starts to cook, stir it well with the tongs so the noodles don't stick to each other (or the pot). 5. **Test the pasta by tasting it.** Follow the cooking time on the package, but always taste pasta before draining to make sure the texture is right. Pasta cooked properly should be al dente—a little chewy. 6. **Drain.** Drain cooked pasta well in a colander. If serving it hot, add sauce right away; if you're making a pasta salad, run noodles under cold water to stop the cooking. Explore more: - [Food](https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes) - [Cooking Tips & Techniques](https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/cooking-tips-techniques) Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback\! Tell us why\! 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Readable Markdown
## How to Cook Spaghetti Does your pasta come out too sticky, too hard, or too mushy? Let this video be your guide to cooking it perfectly. By Updated on August 02, 2022 Pasta is a delicious, go-to meal you can throw together in minutes. But cooking it with the "just right" al dente texture—chewy, firm, and fork-tender—takes technique. Follow these simple steps and you'll be nailing it like *nonna* in no time. Once you've perfected your pasta cooking technique, try your hand at one these delicious, easy-to-make [pasta recipes](https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/popular-ingredients/pasta-recipes) (like b[ucatini with kale and ricotta](https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/bucatini-with-kale-ricotta), p[asta carbonara](https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/pasta-carbonara-0), or s[hrimp and asparagus fra diavolo](https://www.realsimple.com/one-pot-recipes-8405021)). You can also keep things simple: Drizzle your finished noodles with good-quality olive oil, salt and pepper, and finish with a shower of shaved Parmesan. Whatever type of noodle dish inspires your palette, we promise you'll have a delicious dinner on the table in minutes with this foolproof method. (Pro tip: For best results, use a big stockpot.) ## What You Need - Water - Large pot - Pasta - Salt - Tongs - Colander ## Follow These Steps 1. **Boil water in a large pot.** To prevent pasta from sticking together, use at least 4 quarts of water for every pound of noodles. 2. **Salt the water with at least 1 tablespoon, and more is fine.** The salty water adds flavor to the pasta. 3. **Add pasta.** Pour pasta into boiling water. There's no need to break the pasta; it will soften up within 30 seconds and fit into the pot. 4. **Stir occasionally.** As the pasta starts to cook, stir it well with the tongs so the noodles don't stick to each other (or the pot). 5. **Test the pasta by tasting it.** Follow the cooking time on the package, but always taste pasta before draining to make sure the texture is right. Pasta cooked properly should be al dente—a little chewy. 6. **Drain.** Drain cooked pasta well in a colander. If serving it hot, add sauce right away; if you're making a pasta salad, run noodles under cold water to stop the cooking. Was this page helpful? Tell us why\!
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