Measuring your pastaNo. of Adults: / /
To improve the flavor of the pasta, add a generous pinch of sea salt to the cooking water. Oil keeps sauce from sticking to pasta, so don’t add it to the water. For additional beneficial culinary advice, see our Help and Support page.
Types of pasta and their cooking time
It’s hard to know how long to cook pasta for, with so many varieties available at the grocery store, including farfalle, angel hair, spaghetti, macaroni, and tagliatelle. Because of the shape of the pasta, not all of it cooks at once. It usually takes longer to make shorter, thicker pasta than standard thin spaghetti strands.
Although wheat is the traditional ingredient for pasta, you can now find pasta made with other ingredients, like chickpeas, lentils, organic beans, corn, and rice, which also affects how long it cooks.
These are the general cooking times for pasta, depending on type:
- Angel hair pasta: 5 minutes
- Farfalle (bowties): 10-12 minutes
- Penne: 12-14 minutes
- Rotini: 8-10 minutes
- Spaghetti: 8-10 minutes
- Macaroni: 8-10 minutes
- Conchiglie (shells): 9-15 minutes, depending on size
- Fettucine: 8-13 minutes
- Pappardelle: 7-10 minutes
- Gluten-free pasta: Approx. 6- 8 minutes
- Tortelli and ravioli: 3 to 5 minutes
How long to cook pasta in a microwave
Perhaps you have second thoughts about cooking pasta in a pot of boiling water the “traditional way.” If so, use the microwave to swiftly cook the pasta. With the help of a microwave, you can quickly prepare a pasta meal without using a lot of utensils.
To cook pasta in a microwave, follow the steps below:
- Pasta should be added to a microwave-safe bowl, which should be set on a plate to catch any spilled water.
- Pour enough water into the bowl so that it is one or two inches above the pasta’s tops. As the pasta cooks, it will expand, so use a lot of water. Once the pasta is cooked, any extra water can always be drained.
- Place the bowl and plate on the microwave plate. Start the microwave and add 3 to 4 minutes to the recommended cooking times on the package.
- Monitor the pasta while it is cooking. You can stop halfway to stir and continue.
- Test to see if the pasta is cooked. If not, then add another 30 seconds and continue cooking. Check if the pasta is done at every 30-second interval.
- Once the pasta is cooked to your satisfaction, drain it.
