Dried pasta typically comes from southern Italy and is made with water and durum wheat flour. This specialized wheat variety is high in protein and can also be made into couscous or bulgur wheat. Spaghetti is often referred to as a type of pasta.

How long should pasta be cooked? How much water should be used for cooking pasta? Should salt or oil be added? How to prepare common pasta sauces like white sauce, red sauce, and pesto? All answered in one place!

Different Types of Pasta

Pasta has a long history, with Sicilian people reportedly making thin, stringy noodles as early as the 12th century. Italian pasta comes in a variety of shapes. Besides the more well-known solid long noodles, such as

Spaghetti, Capellini, and Linguine, there are also hollow long noodles (such as Ziti), ribbon-shaped noodles (such as Papardelle), sheet-shaped noodles (such as Lasagne), and tubular noodles (such as Tortiglioni).

These diverse shapes, such as Farfalle and Conchiglie Rigate, provide ample surface area for sauces to adhere to, making them a perfect complement to sauces. Smaller pieces of food can also rest in the hollows and hollow areas, adding a richer texture!

What is the serving size of pasta?

How much pasta is in a single serving?

Pasta is usually packaged in 500g packages, which can feed about 5-6 people. Pasta measuring devices are also available to help you keep track of the amount of pasta. For irregular-shaped noodles, use 100g of dried noodles as a guide for the cooking amount.

It may seem like a small amount before cooking, but noodles absorb 1.5-1.8 times their weight in water during cooking, so be careful not to overcook!

How long should pasta be cooked?

Time: Each type of pasta requires a different cooking time. Follow the recommended cooking time on the package. Add or subtract 1 minute based on your taste. Remember, the timer starts after the water boils.

How much water should be used for cooking pasta?

How can I prevent noodles from sticking?

It’s generally recommended to use 1L of water, 10g of salt, and a little oil for 100g of noodles. Next time, try using a smaller amount of water, for example, 500ml for 100g of noodles.

As long as the noodles are fully submerged in the cooking water after being cooked, a large amount of water isn’t necessary. For straight noodles, arrange them in a radial pattern (like a sunburst). The hot water will gradually soften the noodles and allow them to slide into the pot.

Stir the cooking water regularly during the first 2-3 minutes of cooking to prevent them from sticking to the pot. For short pasta, cooking them in a wide, shallow pot will loosen them up and prevent them from sticking. Adding a little cooking water during subsequent cooking (such as stir-frying) will increase the starch concentration in the noodles, making it easier for sauces to adhere to them.

Why is salt added to the cooking water?

In salt water, the gelatinization temperature of the noodles is increased, thus allowing for longer cooking time and more even heating throughout the noodles. As the noodles absorb the water during cooking, a small amount of salt can enhance their flavor.

Why is oil added to the cooking water?

It’s to prevent the cooking water from overflowing!

Whether you’re cooking pasta or any other pasta, have you ever experienced the problem of the cooking water overflowing? This is because the noodles lose some of their starch as they cook. This starch floats to the surface of the water, forming a cap. This blocks rising bubbles until it is pushed out by the rising steam.

If you add a little oil, the oil will float to the surface of the water, weaving in between the floating starch particles. This allows the steam to pass through, preventing the cap from forming and preventing the cooking water from overflowing.

Do you need to add more oil to the noodles after scooping them out?

How can I ensure the noodles absorb the sauce properly?

Many people recommend adding a little oil to cooked pasta noodles after scooping them out to prevent sticking. While this method does prevent sticking, it also makes it harder for the sauce to adhere to the noodles.

A better approach is to prepare the pasta sauce while the noodles cook. After draining the noodles, add the sauce directly to the noodles along with a little cooking water. The cooking water helps the sauce adhere to the noodles. Stir evenly for 1 to 2 minutes to allow the noodles to fully absorb the sauce. It will definitely be delicious!