Wondering how long to boil spaghetti on the stove? Too long in boiling water, and pasta can turn to a mushy, gluey mess. Not enough cook time, and pasta will still taste hard and crunchy. The average time to boil spaghetti is 8 to 12 minutes, but keep reading for all my tips and tricks to get the best pasta every time!
I'll just be honest - four years ago, I didn't know how to cook pasta. The water would often boil out of the pot and onto my stove, leaving some serious stains! After several years of diving headfirst into the in's and out's of cooking, I've learned the foolproof way to create delicious, perfectly cooked pasta.
What is Spaghetti Made of?
Dry pasta is usually made of water and flour call semolina, which is made from durum wheat. The dehydration process to make dry pasta slightly cooks the noodles, so when you go to cook it on the stove, it's already been a little pre-cooked.
If you use pasta made with other ingredients like lentils or chickpeas, or whole wheat pasta, then it could affect the cook time. I recommend to check the instructions on the package.
What Does Al Dente Mean?
There are two main ways to cook your pasta - al dente and soft.
Al dente is Italian for "to the tooth" which describes the texture of perfectly cooked spaghetti. When spaghetti is soft but still has a little chew or bite (on your tooth lol) then it's al dente. The noodles aren't mushy, which means you cooked them past al dente.
The best way to determine if your pasta is al dente is with a tried and true taste-test. Carefully remove one of the spaghetti noodles from the boiling water with tongs or a fork, then allow it to cool for a moment. Bite into it - if it's crunchy and hard, leave it to boil for another couple minutes. If it's soft but still chewy, stop cooking, because you have al dente pasta!
How to Cook Spaghetti Perfectly
1. In a large pot, add one tablespoon of salt, and one pound of dry pasta. Add just enough cold water to the pot that the pasta is covered with about a half inch of water.
2. Turn the stove on to medium-high. Cover the pot with its lid and bring the water to a boil.
3. Cook the pasta in the boiling water, stirring frequently, until it is "al dente" and the texture is soft, but still a little chewy.
4. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to scoop the pasta out of the pot and onto a large plate or bowl, or into the pan of your sauce (depending on what recipe you're making).
5. If you're making pasta sauce, turn down the heat to low, and keep the starchy pasta water in the pot at a simmer, so it’s ready to be added to thicken your pasta sauce as needed.
What Temperature of Water Should Pasta be Cooked In?
Start by cooking dry pasta in cold water. The gluten and starch in the dry pasta absorb water a low temperatures, so the water doesn’t need to be boiling. There are a few benefits to starting pasta in cold water compared to boiling water.
First, starting pasta in cold water helps prevent it from sticking together.
Second, the energy that's required to bring a pot of water to a boil is used more efficiently, since the pasta can rehydrate and cook while the water comes to a boil.
Why Add Salt to Pasta Water?
When you add salt to the water that the pasta is cooked in, the salt is able to season the pasta from the inside out. If you wait to add salt to your pasta after it's cooked, only the outside of each noodle will be seasoned.
And remember that perfect al dente texture we're going for? Well salt interacts with the proteins in the pasta, which helps it cook to the perfect firm texture, without turning mushy. Aka, al dente perfection.
You can use any type of salt to season your pasta water including table salt, kosher salt, and sea salt.
How Much Water Should I Add to Spaghetti?
Use just enough water to cover the pasta noodles. As pasta cooks, the starch in pasta leaks out into the water. The less water means the more starchy that the pasta water is. This starchy pasta water is valuable, since it can be used to thicken sauce.
How to Drain Cooked Spaghetti?
Instead of pouring the spaghetti into a colander and the starchy water goes down the drain, scoop the pasta out of the pot with tongs or a slotted spoon. Keep the starchy pasta water in the pot (at a simmer) so it’s ready to add to sauce as needed.
More FAQ's
Should I add oil to pasta water?
Oil and water don't mix, so any oil added to pasta water will just float to the top. There's no need to add olive oil to your pasta water.
How do you prevent spaghetti from sticking together while cooking?
Start your pasta in cold water, and once the water starts simmering, stir it frequently to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
How do you prevent spaghetti from sticking together after draining?
First, don't rinse your pasta in water or douse it in oil or butter. Rinsing the pasta will remove the flavorful starch on the noodles. And adding fat will prevent your sauce from sticking.
The best way to prevent cooked spaghetti from sticking together is to add it to your sauce right away.
What to Serve with Pasta
There are some classic flavors that always go well with pasta, like tomato sauce, alfredo sauce, and pesto. I love topping my pasta with my Five Minute Parsley Pesto or easy Carrot Top Pesto. And garlic bread or Gluten Free Breadsticks are always pasta's beloved companion.
More Pasta Recipes
Now that you're a pro at cooking pasta and knowing how long to boil spaghetti, you can make all kinds of delicious noodle recipes!
I'm eggcited to hear from you :)