Simple and quick to make, pasta is one of the most popular and essential store cupboard staples. Follow a few basic principles and these six steps, and you’ll soon know how to cook pasta like a pro.
This guide will show you the basics, but check out our ultimate guide to pasta shapes to find out the best pasta and sauce pairings. Try spaghetti with basil and tomato, robust pappardelle with rich ragù or small tubes of macaroni with silky cheese sauce.
For now though, start simple. Here are some basic ‘rules’ to follow:
- Always, always salt the pasta water! It will affect the taste of the pasta, and the sauce you serve it with, so never miss out this step.
- Avoid food waste and measure your portions. 75g of dried pasta per person is about right. If you’re cooking for 4 people, you’ll need 300g of pasta.
- Give your pasta plenty of room to cook – so you want a large pan.
- Cover your pan with a lid to help bring the water up to the boil more quickly, then remove the lid once the water is boiling or reduce the temperature slightly to stop it bubbling over.
- Add the pasta to the water once it’s boiling, never before, and cook without the lid.
What you'll need
sea salt
dried pasta (75g per person)
Equipment
large saucepan
wooden spoon
mug
colander
Method
- Fill a large pan with boiling water from the kettle, put the pan on a high heat on the hob, and add a small pinch of sea salt.
2 Bring the water back to the boil.
3 Once the water is boiling, add the pasta to the pan.
4 Bring back to the boil, then cook according to packet instructions, until al dente – this means the pasta is tender, but still has a bit of a bite when you eat it.
5 Scoop out and reserve a cup of the cooking water in case you need it to loosen your sauce.
6 Drain the pasta in a colander over the sink. Now it’s ready to toss through your favourite sauce – it’s best to do this in the pan, adding splashes of cooking water and mixing as you go until your sauce coats the pasta and is the perfect consistency.
Now for the sauce
Try serving your pasta one of these tasty ways...
Delicious pasta recipes
How to make pasta from scratch
Fancy making pasta yourself? Watch the video below to see how Jamie and Buddy make pasta dough from scratch.
