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How long to cook pasta

How long to cook pasta

0:00
10 g
Salt per litre · of water
9
Minutes for spaghetti · al dente
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Al dente times for spaghetti, penne, fusilli, farfalle and every common shape, plus fresh pasta and what to change when it finishes in a sauce.

Cook to temperature, not to timeCheck the packet first: these are typical times and a specific brand can sit a minute either side. Start tasting two minutes before the time is up, because al dente is a texture rather than a clock reading. Pasta that will finish in a sauce comes out two minutes early.

Dried pasta, into water already at a rolling boil, uncovered, timed to al dente.

More pasta times

Common questions

What does al dente actually mean?

Firm to the bite. Cut a piece in half and you should see a thin pale core still visible in the middle, no more than a pinpoint. If there is a chalky white line through it, it needs another minute. If there is no core at all, you have gone past al dente.

Why pull it early if it is going into a sauce?

Because it keeps cooking in the pan. Pasta finished in a hot sauce absorbs liquid and softens for another minute or two, so pasta drained at perfect al dente arrives at the table overcooked. Two minutes early, then finish it in the sauce with a splash of the cooking water.

How much salt and does oil help?

Around 10 g per litre, which is less than the "like the sea" advice and plenty. Oil does not stop pasta sticking, because it floats on the surface and never touches most of it. Stirring in the first minute is what stops sticking, since that is when the starch is released and the pieces are still soft enough to fuse.

Should I keep the pasta water?

A cupful, yes. It is salted and full of starch, which is exactly what makes a sauce cling instead of sliding off. Add it a splash at a time while you toss.

Does gluten free pasta cook the same?

No. Corn and rice based pasta usually needs a minute or two less and goes from firm to disintegrating much faster, so the window is narrower. Taste from two minutes before the packet time.

Egg times come from the thermal-diffusion equation for a spherical egg published by Charles D. H. Williams (University of Exeter), calibrated so a large fridge-cold egg at sea level matches the times cooks actually use. Size, starting temperature and altitude then follow from the physics. Treat the result as a very good starting point, not a guarantee, because pans, hobs and eggs all vary.