Learn all my secret tips and tricks to make the perfect pot of spaghetti noodles that’s not too mushy, not too firm … just right. Every. Time.
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When I need to whip up dinner fast, I often turn to spaghetti. I always have it, and it's super versatile. I can go lazy and toss it with butter, pepper, and Parmesan, or spend a few minutes making a quick Alfredo sauce.
Boiling the spaghetti is a fairly simple task, but it can be rife with opportunities to get it wrong. And those instructions on the pasta packages will only get you so far toward spaghetti that’s well-seasoned, perfectly al dente, and doesn’t stick together.
Keep reading, and I'll share the best way to boil the perfect pot of spaghetti so you can make perfect pasta dishes every time. Then, I'll answer ALL the questions about how to cook spaghetti noodles like:
- If you should boil your spaghetti before or after you make the sauce
- How much water you need
- Do I really need to salt the water?
- What about olive oil?
- To rinse or not to rinse
- ... and more
How to Cook Spaghetti Noodles: Step-by-step Instructions
Step 1: Fill a 6-8 quart pot with 4 quarts of cold water for one pound of spaghetti. Turn stove on high, place a lid on the pot, and bring water to a rolling, rapid boil. Add 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons of kosher salt or sea salt to the boiling water.
Step 2: With tongs, submerge the pasta into the boiling water. Let water come back to a rolling boil, and stir the pasta so it doesn’t clump or stick to the bottom of the pan. Keep the lid off of the pot.
Step 3: For al dente spaghetti, boil pasta about two minutes less than the cook time on the package. Carefully remove one piece of pasta and check it for doneness. If it’s not mushy, not crunchy, but slightly firm when you bite into it, it’s perfectly al dente! If you like it softer, cook it for a bit longer.
Step 4: Carefully ladle 1-2 cups of pasta water from the pot. Use the reserved starchy water to flavor and thicken sauce or loosen up stuck-together pasta.
Step 5: Drain the pasta. Do not rinse it with water. Rinsing will remove the starch, which helps the sauce stick to the pasta. Do not add olive oil before tossing with sauce -- it will just make the noodles slippery and keep the sauce from adhering.
Toss hot pasta with your favorite sauce like this easy Alfredo Sauce or creamy Saffron Sauce. Serve, and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Have the sauce warming while you boil the spaghetti so you can immediately toss your freshly cooked pasta with the sauce.
- Salt the pasta water -- it's your one chance to flavor the pasta, so don’t pass it up!
- If the water starts to boil over, slightly reduce the heat, but keep the water at a rolling boil. Also, resting a wooden spoon across the top of the pot keeps the water from boiling over. 🤯
- Place a lid on the pot to help the water come to a boil more quickly.
- Reserve 1-2 cups of pasta water before draining. Use the reserved pasta water to thicken sauce or loosen up stuck-together pasta noodles.
FAQs
I'm answering all your questions to help you cook spaghetti noodles perfectly every time!
It is best to toss freshly cooked spaghetti in sauce immediately after the pasta is done cooking. So, cook your sauce first or time it so the sauce and pasta are done at the same time.
A general rule of thumb when cooking spaghetti is to use 4 quarts of cold water for every pound of dry pasta, or one quart of water per four ounces. Pasta needs lots of water to swim around in. If you use less water than this, the spaghetti could stick together. Use cold water for cooking because hot water from the tap can contain impurities.
1 to 1 ½ tablespoons of kosher salt or sea salt per pound of pasta is a good place to start. Then taste it and adjust it to your preferences — and according to the salt level in your pasta sauce. Salted water is the only way to season the pasta.
For best results, add salt when the water is boiling. If you add salt when the water is cold, it will likely just sink to the bottom, so be sure to give it a good stir until the salt dissolves.
Use a large pot, 6-8 quarts, 4 quarts of water for one pound of spaghetti to give it plenty of room and water to move around in.
Use tongs to immerse the pasta into the water and twist it around to fully immerse it in the water.
Let the water come back up to a full boil, and stir the spaghetti so it doesn’t clump or stick to the bottom of the pan.
If the spaghetti sticks together after it's drained, toss it in a little pasta water.
No. After you drain the spaghetti, do not rinse it. Rinsing will wash away the starch that will help the sauce stick to the pasta. The only exceptions are if you're making cold pasta salad or stir fry. Rinsing the pasta stops the cooking process and keeps the pasta from getting mushy.
No. As long as your pasta has plenty of room to move around the pot, I have found this step unnecessary. Also, adding olive oil to pasta can keep your sauce from adhering to it. Even Lidia Bastianich has reportedly said, “Do not — I repeat, do not — add oil to your pasta cooking water! And that’s an order!”
To make perfectly al dente pasta that is slightly firm to the bite, boil spaghetti for two minutes less than the cooking time on the package. Check for doneness. It shouldn’t be mushy, crunchy, or taste raw.
If it’s too firm, boil for another minute. If you like your pasta softer, boil it for a couple of minutes longer. If the pasta will be simmering with sauce, remove when it’s still firm so it can finish cooking in the sauce without turning to mush.
What to Serve with Spaghetti
Wondering what else to serve with your favorite pasta recipes? Take a twirl through this round-up to find the best appetizers, salads, sides, and main dishes that will pair perfectly with pasta, like:
- Goat Cheese Croquettes
- Cheesy Garlic Bread
- Burrata Salad
- Baked Portobello Mushrooms
- Slow Cooker Meatballs
- … and more!
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📖 Recipe
How to Cook Spaghetti Noodles
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 4 quarts cold water
- 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
Instructions
- Fill a 6-8 quart pot with 4 quarts of cold water. Turn your stove on high, place a lid on the pot, and bring the water to a rolling boil. Add 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons of kosher salt or sea salt to the boiling water.
- Use tongs to submerge the pasta into the boiling water. Let the water come back up to a rolling boil, and stir the pasta so it doesn’t clump or stick to the bottom of the pan. Keep the lid off of the pot.
- For al dente spaghetti, boil the pasta about two minutes less than the cook time on the package. Carefully remove one piece of pasta and check it for doneness. If it’s not mushy, not crunchy, but slightly firm when you bite into it, it’s perfectly al dente! If you like it softer, cook it for a bit longer.
- Before draining the pasta, ladle 1-2 cups of pasta water from the pot. Use the reserved starchy water to flavor and thicken your sauce or loosen up stuck-together pasta.
- Drain the pasta. Toss hot pasta with your favorite sauce. Serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Have the sauce warming while you boil the spaghetti so you can immediately toss your freshly cooked pasta with the sauce.
- If the water starts to boil over, slightly reduce the heat, but keep the water at a rolling boil. Also, resting a wooden spoon across the top of the pot keeps the water from boiling over.
- Do not rinse it with water. Rinsing will remove the starch, which helps the sauce stick to the pasta.
- Do not coat the noodles in olive oil before adding sauce, it will just make them slippery and keep the sauce from adhering.
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