- Pasta should be cooked in an abundance of salted water; at least 1 gallon of water per pound of pasta and and 2 tablespoons of salt per gallon of water.
- Water should reach a rapid boil and pasta added all at one-time. Stir the pasta briefly to keep the pasta from sticking and cook until the pasta is al dente.
- Fresh pasta cooks rapidly, often in under 3 minutes. Dried pasta may take 10 minutes or more depending on the size and shape of the pasta. Timing is just a guideline. The doneness of pasta should be checked by tasting.
- Pasta is best drained and served immediately.
- Pasta is usually not rinsed. Pasta for pasta salads are the exception, being rinsed to stop the cooking process and to rinse excess starch off to keep the pasta from sticking.
Holding Pasta for Service
Pasta that will be held for service should be slightly undercooked. The pasta is cooled quickly and tossed lightly with oil to keep it from sticking. At service, a portion of the pasta is reheated in boiling water or cooked in sauce sufficiently to finish cooking the pasta and reheat it.
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