How do I cook pasta properly?
Use plenty of well-salted boiling water and save some pasta water for the sauce.
Cook pasta in a large pot of well-salted boiling water so it does not stick or go gluey. The water should taste like mild seawater.
Follow the packet timing but start tasting a minute early.
Steps
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add salt, then the pasta. Stir in the first minute to prevent sticking. Do not add oil.
Finish in the sauce
Reserve a cup of the starchy cooking water, drain the pasta a minute before it is fully done and finish cooking it in the sauce with a splash of the pasta water. This helps the sauce cling.
Do not rinse
Rinsing washes away starch, unless you are using the pasta in a cold salad.
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