it's most always the same. Any pasta dish seems to require 2 to 3 times the cooking time specified in the instructions. I've about given up on all forms of pasta, except for angel hair. I'm glad that at least that one works out well. Have others experienced the same thing ?
wrong cooking time for pasta
- Thread starter Bajabob
- Start date
Camper6
Well-known Member
- Location
- Northwestern Ontario Canada
It depends on the type of pasta. Try the egg noodle pastas instead of regular. Nice and soft.
Tagleatelle is the name.
Tagleatelle is the name.
HazyDavey
Western Exposure
- Location
- Northern California
Me too !!
Aunt Bea
SF VIP
- Location
- Near Mount Pilot
I find the cooking time varies from brand to brand.
I undercook my pasta compared to the directions on the box.
I've found Barilla to be the best pasta for leftovers, it holds up better on day two or three than many other brands I have used.
I don't use much pasta these days and when I do I usually cook a half cup of dry pasta or a bunch of angel hair about the diameter of my thumb for two servings.
I undercook my pasta compared to the directions on the box.
I've found Barilla to be the best pasta for leftovers, it holds up better on day two or three than many other brands I have used.
I don't use much pasta these days and when I do I usually cook a half cup of dry pasta or a bunch of angel hair about the diameter of my thumb for two servings.
I usually make whole wheat spaghetti, around 12 ounces. I add a drop of olive oil and some sea salt into the water before bringing it to a full boil. The magic number for me is 13 minutes, it's al dente then, cooked but not overly soft or starchy. If I make it at high altitudes and on a gas stove, I usually have to around 7 minutes to that, I just check frequently when it gets close to being done.
Butterfly
SF VIP
- Location
- Albuquerque, New Mexico USA
I haven't had good luck with whole wheat pasta -- it gets too mushy too fast. Maybe I'll try it again and not cook so long.
helenbacque
Senior Member
- Location
- Central Florida
For me it depends on what the final dish is. Al dente if it's to be heavily sauced. A little bit more if it's just dressed with a little cream and butter.
hauntedtexan
Member
- Location
- Central TX
My grandma cooked pasta until she could toss it up to the ceiling and it would stick..... worked every time, perfect spaghetti!
hauntedtexan
Member
- Location
- Central TX
I did my usual habit of research and found this.....but I would never tell me grandma she was wrong.... From culinary lore
The problem with the wall spaghetti test is that the stickiness of pasta does not indicate when it is done. If your pasta sticks to the wall it simply means it is sticky. When you boil pasta it cooks from the outside in. The outer surface of the pasta can start to get sticky before the inner part is tender enough. So, your spaghetti or other pasta can stick to the wall but still be too crunchy. If you throw some at the wall and find that it sticks, then you try some and it is perfectly al dente, it's called luck. That is, it is a coincidence that the pasta stuck and happens to be ready. On the other hand, it may stick to the wall and already be too mushy. The test is simply unreliable.
The problem with the wall spaghetti test is that the stickiness of pasta does not indicate when it is done. If your pasta sticks to the wall it simply means it is sticky. When you boil pasta it cooks from the outside in. The outer surface of the pasta can start to get sticky before the inner part is tender enough. So, your spaghetti or other pasta can stick to the wall but still be too crunchy. If you throw some at the wall and find that it sticks, then you try some and it is perfectly al dente, it's called luck. That is, it is a coincidence that the pasta stuck and happens to be ready. On the other hand, it may stick to the wall and already be too mushy. The test is simply unreliable.
RadishRose
SF VIP
- Location
- Connecticut, USA
Thicker pasta takes more time than thin pasta but I like pasta al dente, not too soft/mushy.
I don't add oil to the water because it makes the sauce slide off the pasta as was told to me by several ladies from Italy many years ago. I do add a fair amount of salt to the water, as in the words of chef Mario Batali, the water should taste like the sea- I think it was him, anyway.
I don't add oil to the water because it makes the sauce slide off the pasta as was told to me by several ladies from Italy many years ago. I do add a fair amount of salt to the water, as in the words of chef Mario Batali, the water should taste like the sea- I think it was him, anyway.
debodun
SF VIP
- Location
- way upstate in New York, USA
I don't like my pasta "al dente", but I do not like it mush, either. I found that about 3 minutes longer than the package directions is about right.
Like NancyNGA, I mostly cook angel hair - the smallest diameter spaghetti available. My father was a thin spaghetti guy and was very fussy about the texture - he's wait until he thought the pasta was close to being done and sample a strand every minute or so until he was satisfied.
For salads, I use either elbows or campanelle which requires more cooking time as they are thicker in shape. One in a great while, fresh pasta is available in the local market which doesn't take as long as dried - maybe 5 minutes.
Like NancyNGA, I mostly cook angel hair - the smallest diameter spaghetti available. My father was a thin spaghetti guy and was very fussy about the texture - he's wait until he thought the pasta was close to being done and sample a strand every minute or so until he was satisfied.
For salads, I use either elbows or campanelle which requires more cooking time as they are thicker in shape. One in a great while, fresh pasta is available in the local market which doesn't take as long as dried - maybe 5 minutes.