How Do I Cook Spaghetti Noodles?

Here’s how to make dried spaghetti into a plate of al dente, sauced pasta from a box. Sharpen your skills with Food Network Kitchen’s top advice and techniques.

Spaghetti is a traditional dry Italian pasta with a long, solid shape that resembles a string. Numerous traditional pasta dishes, including spaghetti and meatballs, spaghetti Bolognese, cacio e pepe, and spaghetti aglio e olio, all start with it. Additionally, it’s a great, affordable pantry essential to keep on hand for a quick pasta dinner at any time. Due to its bland flavor, you can combine it with any ingredients you have on hand, including pre-made sauces, leftover vegetables, or even just some olive oil and red pepper flakes. Although making spaghetti is simple, there are some rules to remember to get consistently cooked and flavorful strands. Here are some of our favorite hints and techniques for making spaghetti. And visit our article on How to Make Perfect Meatballs if you want to add some meatballs.

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▢ 1 pound pasta dried

▢ 6 quarts water

▢ 3 tablespoons salt

Fill a pot with six quarts water, bring to a boil.

Add the salt, followed by the dried pasta.

Stir until the water returns to a boil.

Cook for one minute less than the packaged instructions.

Strain and cool briefly, but do not rinse. Toss in olive oil.

When ready to use, add to warm sauce and finish cooking or chill.

Cook according to packaged instructions

Strain and cool briefly, but do not rinse. Toss in olive oil.

Place in refrigerator covered.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. Depending on the cooking technique and specific ingredients employed, it will change.

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The Best Pot for Cooking Pasta

Select a pot that is sizable enough to accommodate the pasta and allow the water to boil quickly without spilling over. Having a designated pasta pot makes it easier to eyeball how much water to add rather than having to measure it out each time. For spaghetti and other long, thin pasta shapes, some people prefer a high-sided pot so that as much of the pasta is submerged in the water and can instantly start to cook and soften, allowing the pasta to submerge as quickly as possible.

The traditional method of preparing pasta is to boil it in a lot of salted water. For every pound of pasta, the standard amounts are 4 to 6 quarts of water and 1 to 2 tablespoons of salt. There is some disagreement over whether you actually need all that water, and I actually use a little less than most people — about 4 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon of salt per pound of pasta. I advise starting with the standard pasta proportions and adjusting as desired.

Pasta water really does need to be salty. It’s commonly advised that it should taste “salty like the sea,” and that description is accurate. By seasoning the pasta from the inside out, this improves the dish’s overall flavor. Although you can add the salt after the water boils if you’d prefer, I usually add the salt to the pasta pot as it’s coming to a boil so that I don’t forget.

How Much Salt Should I Add to the Water?

Salting your pasta water is essential to cooking flavorful spaghetti. A good rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon for every 4 quarts of water, and it should taste salty. Approximately 4 to 6 quarts of water should be used to cook each pound of pasta, so adjust the salt amounts accordingly. A tried-and-true guideline is that the water should taste like the sea if you don’t feel like measuring.

boiled water and spaghetti noodle for cooking italian pasta cuisine

Because cooking times vary, always check the packaging for recommended cook times. A good rule of thumb is 8 to 12 minutes. To check if it’s done, you can always fish out a strand and taste it.

Make your cooking water salty: 1 tablespoon of salt per 4 quarts of water is the ideal ratio. As it cooks, spaghetti absorbs the water and dissolved salt, which helps soften and season the noodles.

Start checking for doneness early: before you start cooking, check the package directions for suggested cook times. There should be one for al dente, which indicates that the noodle will still have some bite to it once cooked. Start checking your pasta for doneness two minutes before the al dente time to avoid overcooking. And remember, if you’re tossing noodles in a sauce on the stovetop, they’ll continue to cook in the sauce.

Don’t discard the cooking water: the starchy cooking water is like liquid gold, adding body and gloss to sauces of all kinds. Besides emulsifying sauces, it can also be used to thin sauces, such as pesto or alfredo, to achieve desired consistency.

Add the noodles to the sauce: instead of ladling sauce on top of the spaghetti, toss strands directly in the sauce. This will ensure that the sauce clings to the noodles and allows the noodles to absorb the sauce, making for a more flavorful forkful.

Save extra noodles: leftover plain spaghetti can be repurposed with different sauces or add-ins like leftover roasted vegetables, folded with dressing and pantry staples for an Antipasto Pasta Salad, or craft it into a comfort food casserole a la Baked Spaghetti or Skillet Spaghetti Casserole.

Try a one-pot spaghetti dish: Instead of boiling spaghetti separately, cook it directly in sauce for a flavorful meal with less clean-up. Try this healthy, easy fan-favorite: One Pot Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce.

Barefoot Contessa: Back to the Basics, season 19, close-up of Spring Green Spaghetti Carbonara

FAQ

How do you cook spaghetti noodles on the stove?

The majority of dried pasta ribbons, including linguine, spaghetti, and tagliatelle, require 8 to 10 minutes to cook. Fresh pasta varieties like ravioli and tortellini take between 3 and 5 minutes to cook, while shorter, thicker pasta shapes like bows or penne take 10 to 12 minutes.

How long do I cook spaghetti noodles?

1. In a large pot, bring water to a boil. …
2. To keep the noodles from sticking together, add the pasta to the water and stir it a few times.
3. Depending on the desired texture, cook as directed on the package, stirring occasionally, until al dente or softer.
4. Drain and toss with desired sauce.