How long should I boil pasta and how do I know it's ready?

Pasta is not hard to boil. It is a wonderful side dish for many meat dishes. The main thing is not to leave the kitchen during cooking, because the contents of the pot need to be stirred periodically.

How long do I boil my pasta until it is cooked?

The cooking time is always indicated on the package and depends on the size of the products and the type of wheat from which they are made. The pasta is lowered into the boiling salted water. The countdown of time begins from the moment when the contents of the container in which the "pasta" is dropped begins to boil.

Cooking time depends on the type of pasta:

• Standard durum wheat pasta - 7-15 minutes;
• Whole-grain pasta - 7-10 minutes;
• Spaghetti - 8-12 minutes;
• Nests - 5 minutes;
• Chicken soup stars - 4 minutes;
• Egg noodles - 9-10 minutes;
• Homemade noodles - 5 minutes;
• Tubes - 13 minutes;
• Bows - 11 minutes;
• Shells - 8 minutes.

Tip. Spaghetti should not be broken up. They should be dipped in water with one end and pressed gently. From the effects of hot water, the products will soften until they are completely immersed in the liquid. Cook them for 9 minutes until tender and 7 minutes until al dente.

It is important not to overcook the side dish, otherwise the pasta will stick together and take on an unpleasant appearance. And the taste of the dish will be no longer the same.

How much water to boil

For delicious and not sticky pasta you should take a liter of water for every 100 grams of dry pasta.

How to know when the pasta is ready

You can tell if the dish is cooked by the following signs:

1. Appearance. Ready pasta will become slightly lighter than in dry form.
2. Taste. To understand whether it is time to turn off the fire and drain the water, you can taste the pasta. They should be soft. There should not be a floury layer inside.

If a preference is given to the degree of readiness "al dente", the product is considered ready when the pasta is still slightly soggy.

What to do if the pasta is undercooked

You can boil uncooked pasta in boiling water, but the pasta will then get overcooked. Another option to save the dish is to transfer the pasta to a skillet, pour the sauce over it and leave it to soak for a few minutes.