Basic Cooked Pasta
Rinse the pasta and drain.
Bring the water to boil in a large saucepan, making sure there is enough water to cover the pasta. Add the salt to make it boil faster.
Add the pasta to the boiling water. Stir with a wooden spoon, separating the individual pieces. Cook the pasta until tender but still firm (al dente).
Drain the pasta in a colander in the sink, being sure to lift the colander to get rid of all excess water. If using the pasta in a cold salad, rinse it in cold water and drain. Otherwise, do not rinse the pasta, and serve immediately.
Yields about 2 cups
The trick to making pasta is to make sure there is enough water for the pasta to move around while cooking, and to separate the pasta strands immediately after adding them to the boiling water.
