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Basic Pasta Rule

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A good pasta dinner starts before the sauce. Plenty of water, enough salt, the right doneness, and finishing the pasta in the sauce are what make it feel complete instead of flat or slippery.

Ingredients

  • 450 g dried pasta
  • 4 quarts water
  • 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp kosher salt
  • sauce ready to finish the pasta
  • reserved pasta water as needed

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to a full boil.
  • Salt it well so the pasta tastes seasoned, not flat.
  • Add the pasta and stir right away so it does not stick.
  • Boil until the pasta is just shy of where you want it.
  • Taste it instead of relying only on the package time.
  • Save some pasta water before draining.
  • Finish the pasta in the sauce if you are using one.
  • Serve it right away.