What You Need

• water
• large pot
• pasta
• salt
• tongs
• colander

Follow These Steps

1. Boil water in a large pot
   To make sure pasta doesn’t stick together, use at least 4 quarts of water for every pound of noodles.
2. Salt the water with at least a tablespoon—more is fine
   The salty water adds flavor to the pasta.
3. Add pasta
   Pour pasta into boiling water. Don’t break the pasta; it will soften up within 30 seconds and fit into the pot.
4. Stir the pasta
   As the pasta starts to cook, stir it well with the tongs so the noodles don’t stick to each other (or the pot).
5. Test the pasta by tasting it
   Follow the cooking time on the package, but always taste pasta before draining to make sure the texture is right. Pasta cooked properly should be al dente—a little chewy.
6. Drain the pasta
   Drain cooked pasta well in a colander. If serving hot, add sauce right away; if you’re making a pasta salad, run noodles under cold water to stop the cooking.