Anna Del Conte

Cooking Pasta

Appears in
Pasta-lover's Cookbook
Pasta-lover's Cookbook

By Anna Del Conte

Published 1994

  • About
The time pasta takes to cook differs according to its quality and shape, whether it is fresh or dried and, of course, personal preference. Even in Italy, a plate of spaghetti that would be perfect in Naples might be considered undercooked in Milan. The instructions on the pack are usually correct. After that, use your own experience, and remember that all pasta goes on getting softer even after you have drained it.

Pasta needs to be cooked in a large saucepan and a lot of water – about 1 litre (1¾ pints) for 100 g (3½ oz) of pasta. Bring the water to the boil and then add about 1½ tablespoons salt for 4 litres (7 pints) of water, which is the quantity needed for 300-500 g (11 oz-1 lb) of pasta. Remember that it is very important to cook pasta in salted water.