Pasta 101: A Quick Guide for Making Perfect Past Every Time

Pasta is an integral part of every authentic Italian meal. From Farfalle to Fettuccine, every Barilla shape has a distinctive texture and flavor that brings life and conversation to your dinner table. You don't need to be a culinary expert to make a delicious pasta meal, but it's important to know the basics in order to create the perfect balance of pasta, sauce and fresh ingredients. View our complete Pasta 101 Guide for easy to follow tips and information on how to make perfect pasta every time! Here are some tips to get you started:

Cooking Pasta
Cooking pasta is easy, but how much water to use, which pot, and the right combination of pasta and sauce must be chosen carefully in order to prepare a perfect pasta meal. Barilla has been making pasta for over one hundred and twenty five years, and we know the best ways to prepare pasta just like the Italians do. Just follow these easy tips, or watch our own Chef Lorenzo Boni as he walks through each one in a cooking video.

Here are some rules for enjoying pasta at its best:
Pasta should be prepared just before serving it

• Use a tall, large pot filled no more than ¾ with water. If there is too much water in the pan it may boil over and too little water will not allow the pasta to cook properly.
• Use a 6-8 quart capacity pot to prepare one pound of pasta.
• The temperature of the water used to fill the pot does not affect the end result of the pasta and its performance. However, using hot tap water will allow the water to come to a boil faster.

Salt the water

• Salting the water brings out the natural flavor of the pasta.
• Salt must be added once the water has started to boil. If the salt is added too late, it will not be absorbed correctly into the pasta. Adding salt too early may lengthen the boiling time.
• Allow the salt to dissolve before adding the pasta.
• If you are on a sodium restricted diet, please follow your doctor's orders. Adding salt is optional and a matter of taste.
• Add the pasta and quickly return the pot to a boil
• Pour in the pasta and increase the heat source to bring the water back to a boil.
• Do not cover the pot.
• Stir the pasta gently several times while it is cooking, approximately every three minutes. Barilla pasta is made so that is does not stick to the bottom of the pot, but it is advisable to stir the pasta so that it cooks evenly.

Do not add oil to the water

• Barilla's use of premium ingredients to make our pasta guarantees the pasta's superior quality and performance. When poor quality wheat is used, the pasta releases too much starch and sticks together. This is not the case with Barilla pasta.
• Olive oil does nothing for the taste of pasta and its usage will make the pasta slippery, allowing the sauce to "slide" off the pasta.
• Italians do not use olive oil when cooking pasta.
• Follow the cooking times on the package
• For perfect pasta, simply follow the cooking times on the package, even though it is a good idea to taste the pasta just before draining to make sure it suits your taste.
• Pasta has been cooked properly when it is soft on the outside, but the inside is still a little hard. In authentic Italian cooking, this is called al dente.

Drain pasta immediately after it is done cooking

• Drain pasta into a large colander and toss it gently to remove excess liquid.
• The pasta should remain moist but not dripping wet.
• Pasta should not be rinsed after cooking unless for a pasta salad recipe. The natural starches released from the pasta complement the pasta meal because they help "bind" the sauce that is to be used, and allow the sauce to adhere better to the pasta.
• Always save a couple of tablespoons of the cooking water; it may be needed to dilute the sauce or in sautéing the pasta with the sauce before serving.
• In Italy, pasta is usually undercooked in the water by about 3 minutes. Pasta is then transferred to a sauté pan with the prepared sauce, and then cooked with the sauce for the additional 3 minutes?allowing the pasta to absorb the flavors of the sauce.

Add sauce and serve immediately

• When pasta is drained it is still cooking. Therefore, the sauce should be added quickly.
• Pasta should be served hot.
• Italians use very little sauce with their pasta?just enough to coat it.
• To finish the pasta, top with parmesan cheese, a little freshly ground black pepper or olive oil.

Choosing Pasta
Home Chefs should never blame themselves for pasta not cooking properly. All pastas are not the same. Barilla has compiled some tips to help you make the best pasta choice for you and your family. Visit our site to learn more.

Measuring Pasta: Learn how to measure pasta like a pro with this chart that includes correct amounts for every pasta shape on our website.

Myths About Cooking Pasta
Do you throw pasta on the wall to tell if it's ready? Do you rinse the pasta after it's cooked? Find out if these pasta cooking myths are helping or hindering your meal on our website.

Download a FREE Copy of the Celebrity Italian Table Cookbook in February.