How to cook pasta "al dente"

Pasta

An important rule is that pasta should be prepared just before serving it. An exception to this rule is frittata of pasta, pasta salad, oven-baked pasta, etc. To cook pasta properly, you need a large pot and much water; too little water causes the pasta to stick together and gives it a bad taste. The water must be salted when it has begun to boil, preferably with coarse salt, and its taste should resemble sea water (most of the salt will be eliminated together with the water when you drain the pasta).

Add pasta to the pot when the water is already boiling. It’s important to know that pasta must cook under a continuous boil, stirring often, until al dente. Pasta al dente means pasta cooked for just the right time, not overcooked; it is more tasty and more digestible, and it’s generally considered healthier.

To get a pasta al dente, you should observe the cooking time indicated on the package, but for several reasons (some companies may not be very accurate in indicating the cooking time, for example), I also suggest you try the pasta one minute before the stated time and do this about every minute from then on until it is ready. Then you should drain it immediately with a colander.

Remember,.....the pasta and how you cook it is just as important as the sauce.