How much salt do I need when I boil spaghetti?
We want to use salted water. Use a lot of salt in the water when boiling your spaghetti. It’s more salt than you probably think you should use. Typically, I add roughly two tablespoons of salt to every six quarts of water.
Although I prefer to use Kosher salt, you can use table salt or sea salt if that’s what you have.
Usually, when the water begins to boil, I add the salt while it’s still cold and let it dissolve. When you can no longer see the salt crystals floating around, you will know it has completely dissolved.
How to boil Spaghetti- a photo guide
Adding the pasta and salt only after the water has boiled See the section of this post titled “When to salt your pasta water” for more information on why this is significant.
Once the pasta is soft enough to float on its own in the water, stir it back and forth.
See the section “How much water do you use to boil spaghetti” for more information on why it’s important to use a large pot and the appropriate amount of water.
Stir Spaghetti often and test pasta before draining. Don’t forget to reserve some pasta water for the sauce!
As soon as possible, mix the hot pasta with sauce! For additional information, see the section titled “Why you should save your pasta water.”
Tips for making pasta without it sticking:
- Add the pasta AFTER it is at a rolling boil. It will no longer fall and adhere to the bottom; instead, it will begin to move.
- DO NOT DUMP and DASH. Stir the pasta frequently as it cooks to avoid a clumpy mess and pasta that sticks to the pan’s bottom.
- To separate the pasta, use the appropriate pasta tool (see below) with prongs that resemble a fork.
- OIL AND WATER ARE NOT FRIENDS. Once the sauce is combined, adding fat to the water will stop the pasta from absorbing it.
I understand, you’re busy! The pasta is cooked, but the sauce is still cooking, so you let it sit or, worse, coat it with oil before mixing it with the sauce! If you must choose, leave the sauce alone instead of draining the pasta! If you’re preparing a pasta salad, read this recipe post to find out how long they keep and how to store it. And this is how to keep homemade pasta in storage without it sticking!
TIMING it’s all about TIMING
AVOID adding butter or oil before combining the pasta and sauce. Your pasta will not absorb the sauce; it will simply slide off of it. There is no going back.
This is the measuring and serving spoon that I use for pasta. A multipurpose, Italian cooking tool made specifically for you that is better than a pasta fork!
For delicately stirring, draining, and serving spaghetti and other pasta shapes, use a pasta server with fork-like teeth.
For spaghetti, the holes in the handle act as a portion guide (uno=one, due=two, quattro=four). It’s also great for stirring sauces and risotto!.
With its exquisite handiwork made of 100% cherry wood, your utensil is long-lasting, decorative, and fits neatly in a kitchen gadget drawer or utensil holder.
Use only hand washing and mineral oil occasionally to maintain the best possible appearance for cherry wood. Safe for use on nonstick cookware. Handmade in Salt Lake City, Utah USA.
