how Italians cook pasta

How Italians cook pasta: how long, how much water and salt, and the basics of cooking dry pasta the Italian way.

In this post, you will learn how Italians cook pasta properly: how much water and salt to use, how to make pasta “al dente”, serving sizes, pasta shape pairings, how to cook pasta for salads, and more.

WHAT DOES “AL DENTE” MEAN?

The first thing to know is that you can’t give an exact cooking time for pasta al dente.

If you ask me how long to cook spaghetti al dente, for example, my answer will be: it depends. The producer must give you the timing because cooking time depends on the quality of the flour used and the production technique.

“Al dente” literally translates into “to the tooth”, intending that pasta should still offer a pleasant bite. Not soggy — that’s never ok — but also a little firmer than the regular cooking time.

Depending on your taste, this usually means 1 to 2 minutes less than the cooking time indicated on the package. Taste it two minutes before, and see if you like it; if not, wait another minute. To be sure the pasta is cooked, take a bite and look at the center: too white? It still needs cooking.

Italians usually cook pasta al dente because it has a better texture, and because it is easier to digest, as it has a lower glycemic index.

HOW MUCH WATER DO ITALIANS USE TO COOK PASTA?

To cook pasta, you need a lot of water: 1 liter (1/4 gallon or 4 cups) for each 100 gr (3.5 oz) of pasta.

Pasta water must contain salt: 10 gr (0.35 oz or about 1 teaspoon) of coarse salt for every liter (4 cups) of water.

Remember this easy rule: 1-10-100 (water liters, salt grams, pasta grams).

But if the seasoning for your pasta is already quite salty, reduce the salt to 5–7 grams.

Usually, Italians add salt only once the water is boiling because they believe salted water takes longer to boil. There is no scientific evidence for this, so add salt whenever you prefer — just make sure it goes in before the pasta.

100 gr or 3.5 oz is what, in Italy, we consider a regular pasta serving size.

If the condiment is rich, like ragù, Italians usually lower it to 80 gr (2.8 oz); if they are hungry — and not on a diet — they go up to 120 gr (4.2 oz).

Here in Italy, pasta is considered a main dish, not a side dish. Sometimes it is also the only course of a meal (“piatto unico”): if you combine grains, vegetables, and proteins, your dinner is balanced and more than satisfying.

Think of a simple tomato spaghetti: grains from the pasta, vegetables from the tomato sauce, and proteins when you sprinkle delicious parmesan cheese on top.

Mainly, Italians eat white pasta.

A minority, usually driven by health concerns, add whole wheat pasta to their diet, but they rarely replace white pasta completely. White pasta is part of our tradition, and its flavor is unbeatable.

So expect whole wheat, farro/spelt (which I personally find much tastier), and Kamut pasta in grocery stores and pantries — but as exceptions.

We leave rice and buckwheat noodles to Asian cuisine.

Italy has an infinite number of pasta sizes and shapes: each region has one or more traditional varieties. They are the result of centuries of culinary traditions and of searching for the perfect pasta shape to pair with local ingredients and condiments.

Learning how Italians pair pasta shapes and sauces is part of understanding Italian food culture.

As a general rule: rough and ridged pasta holds sauce better, but it also absorbs more of it. So if you pair a dense condiment with rough pasta, you might end up with a dry and heavy result. In that case, smooth pasta shapes are usually the better choice.

Sure, we do it all the time with leftovers.

You just have to calculate the different cooking times. Toss the pasta shape that takes longer into the boiling water first — check the package directions — wait for the timing gap you calculated, then add the second pasta shape and cook for the remaining time.

The choice between long or short pasta depends mainly on personal taste and traditional recipes. The truth is that Italians often end up using whatever pasta they already have in the pantry.

However:

• buttery or meat-based condiments pair better with short pasta;
• oily, fish-based, or vegetable condiments pair better with long pasta.

One-pot pasta is a modern, nontraditional way of cooking pasta.

You put pasta, water, salt, oil, and your condiment directly into a pot or pan, and cook everything together without draining the pasta.

A pan works better than a pot.

The difficult part is deciding how much water to add: I usually start with twice the pasta weight in water and progressively add more hot water if needed — just to avoid overcooking the pasta.

The result is an especially creamy pasta dish because, instead of being drained away, the starch released by the grains stays in the pan and blends with the condiment.

If you are making pasta for a pasta salad, cook it 2 minutes less than the package directions, drain it, and spread it over a large plate or tray in a single layer until it reaches room temperature. This prevents the cooking from continuing and avoids unpleasant sogginess.

Now that you know how Italians cook pasta, go turn on the heat and enjoy a delicious Italian meal.

Buon appetito!

– Claudia