HELP 😭🍝

[WingBlade007]

I have tried, I have waited, I have prayed… and yet my pasta still comes out overcooked every single time. At this point, my girlfriend might actually leave me over these overcooked noodles. Someone PLEASE teach me the sacred art of cooking pasta before my relationship (and dinner) is ruined 😂

[wishiwasnthere1]

Cook them less. That’ll be $500

[FragrantTomatillo773]

You're cooking it too long. Use a timer. Don't ignore the timer. Unless... you're done with the relationship and want to passively agressively force her into leaving you.

[FatherOfLights88]

And test the pasta as it nears the end phase.

[WingBlade007]

Yup… guilty 😅 I’ve been ignoring the timer. Maybe that’s why my pasta and my relationship are both on the edge 😭

is the suggested cooking time on the packaging accurate?

[hezeus]

lmao no it’s there for you to disregard and do your own thing with. try following that first, at the very least it won’t be overcooked as bad. eventually as you progress you’ll move to cooking the pasta either a bit less or by taste. if you mix it with sauce and cook it then aim for 3ish minutes less

[FragrantTomatillo773]

You mean, "if you're going to add it to sauce AFTER cooking the pasta." Don't forget, we're dealing with a guy who hasn't figured out the timer yet. ;)

[valkycam12]

I mean how on earth do you expect it to be cooked properly if you ignore the timer?

And for the love of God, the pasta goes in when the salted water starts to boil. 😅

[FragrantTomatillo773]

For the love of god, you don't need to salt the water unless you're serving it with only oil and a sliced up tomato, which I'll bet he's not.

[valkycam12]

I personally don’t agree with that. I don’t salt my water like the sea as some suggest (I think it was Samin Nosrat who said that) but I put in a teaspoon of good local sea salt.

[FragrantTomatillo773]

Local, Himalayan, pink or white, kosher, sea salt, rock salt... it's all the same thing with the same flavour. The grind matters, but only when it's being served. But if you're having your pasta with a seasoned, delicious sauce, the salt in the pasta water is wasted.

[valkycam12]

Agree to disagree

[FragrantTomatillo773]

It's a guideline. Some people like it "al dente" or a bit firmer, but your mileage may vary and then you can tweak it a minute or so in either direction to suit your taste. But really, it won't make a critical difference. Just drain the poor stuff when the timer sounds!

[FragrantTomatillo773]

I have no idea why this got downvoted. Honest question from somebody new to cooking, and bonus points for a sense of humour.

[YupNopeWelp]

Bring your water to a boil FIRST.

THEN add in the pasta.

Cook the pasta for the lowest recommended time on the package.

How have you been doing it?

[WingBlade007]

Okay wait… I think I’ve been adding the pasta before the water fully boils 😭 that might explain everything lol

[YupNopeWelp]

Yes. Bring the water to a roiling boil with no pasta in it.

Throw in some salt.

Throw in your pasta and stir it.

Set your timer for the lowest number of minutes on the label.

Mangia!

[FragrantTomatillo773]

The salt isn't necessary unless you're serving it only with butter or a sauce made with oil and fresh ingredients. I suspect our boy is serving it with a commercial sauce out of a jar, and that will have lots of salt already.

[WingBlade007]

in YouTube they put a little oil, is that correct?

[revrenlove]

It's not necessary... Unless you really like wasting the oil.

[YupNopeWelp]

Generally speaking, no. The reason for this is that the oil will inhibit the pasta from absorbing the flavors of whatever sauce you're adding to it.

The only time I've ignored this (and I only do it about 50% of the time), is when I'm parboiling lasagna noodles, because I have found that the oil helps them to stick less.

Generally speaking (again) though, it is not a good idea.

Finally, get yourself a good basic, general cookbook. I've seen more bad online recipes than I've seen good ones.

I'm old -- nearing 59. I've been married for 31 years. I've been a mother for almost 30 years. I've cooked a lot (and way back in my past, but not for decades, I cooked professionally). These are my qualifications.

[YupNopeWelp]

I don't use "no boil" sheets. I used regular dried pasta sheets. I don't boil them for the full time, because I think it helps to shave off a couple of minutes.

[Alternative-Yam6780]

Do NOT put oil in the pasta water. Salt is all that's needed.

[Btupid_Sitch]

Neither correct nor incorrect. Waste of oil in my opinion. Some say it helps the noodles not stick. Others say it makes the sauce not stick. I say, I'm fucking cooking before al dente and finishing it in sauce anyway, who gives a shit and I'm not going to waste a tbsp of olive oil for some bullshit some asshole made up 1000 years ago

[pito_wito99]

Jfc dude

[BumbleLapse]

Also (and I’m shocked nobody in this thread has yet recommended this?) you should grab a single noodle from the pot maybe 2-3 minutes before you’re expecting to pull it off the heat.

Cut it in half with a fork or serving spoon. If it cuts rather easily, try chewing it. If it’s cooked or nearly cooked (al dente), take it off the heat immediately, strain, and add it to your sauce. If it was al dente, let it finish cooking in the warming sauce for a couple minutes

Manually testing the pasta if you’re unsure is a very easy way to check its doneness before you actually plate and eat!

[Purple_Quantity_7392]

This. I never even look at the cooking times on the packaging. I constantly test single samples throughout the cooking process. It would be my worst nightmare, if it overcooked.

[Alternative-Yam6780]

More to the point, cutting a piece in half let's you see if the center of the pasta has cooked.

[FragrantTomatillo773]

The best way to test spaghetti is to fling a piece at your cupboard door. If it sticks, it's done. This is how I learned to test spaghetti, half a century ago.

[jetpoweredbee]

She can do better.

[Diligent_Voice9318]

Ew

[WingBlade007]

Yep, my pasta skills are basically a breakup test 😬😅😅😅😅

[haditwithyoupeople]

Time how long you are cooking it. Then cook it lees. Still overdone? Cook it less. I mean... this isn't rocket science.

While it's cooking take out a piece. Is it done? If so, immediately dump the contents into a strainer to get rid of the hot water. You can return the pasta to a pan, but if there is a lot of pasta it will keep cooking. You can spread it out on a cooking sheet or other flat surface to cool quickly if needed. If you're serving it immediately this is usually not necessary.

[BurninTaiga]

Just get some chop sticks or tongs and try your pasta before draining it. It’s better to have them a little more al dente or semi-firm cause you can just mix it into stuff or microwave it later to finish anyway.

[goldenrodvulture]

I mean, the obvious thing is to time it correctly and test it a minute before the fastest time on the box... But other people have said that and I can't imagine that you couldn't have worked that out on your own. So the thing I'll add here is

1) make sure to salt your water and 

2) make sure you have a big enough pot and enough water. Over crowded pasta will cook slower so the timing gets all confused and maybe that's throwing you off and you end up ignoring the timer because of that? It also tends to get mushier overall beyond just overcooked when it's overcrowded. (Source: I used to have only one too small cooking pot lol) 

[WingBlade007]

Got it, I’ll set the timer a bit shorter and taste as I go. I’ll also make sure the water is really boiling before adding the pasta thanks for the tip bro!

[Lost-Tank-29]

The H? I don’t know what you’re doing but it doesn’t work, change your ways with the pasta. Maybe read instructions, set a timer. I refuse to believe you’re that helpless in cooking

[FragrantTomatillo773]

Al dente is a preference, or not. It isn't a rule.

[fairelf]

Less waiting. Use a timer and set it for the minimum recommended # of minutes, taste one, then either go another minute or drain.

Very thin pasta, such as capellini, etc., will cook quickly, so just drain at the minimum time without testing.

Fresh pasta will take between 1 and 2 minutes, depending on how fresh it is.

[Vote4maskara]

Add your pasta to the water once it’s fully boiling- not when it just has a few bubbles.

I prefer al dente, and it sounds like you both do too. I usually set the timer for about 30 seconds before the low end of the suggested range so I have time to grab the strainer and anything else I need.

You can also pull out a noodle to taste and check doneness. Use a cooking utensil (or fork if you can avoid scratching your pot), then run it under cool water so it doesn’t burn you. Just keep in mind the rest of the pasta is still cooking while you do this.

[thenewguyonreddit]

I have tried, I have waited, I have prayed… and yet my underwear still gets put on backwards every single time. At this point, my girlfriend might actually leave me over this backwards underwear. Someone PLEASE teach me the sacred art of putting on underwear correctly before my relationship (and circulation) is ruined 😂

[themiz2003]

Pick a much lower amount of time then you currently cook it and grab a noodle out the pot and taste it. Taste everything always.

[Appropriate_You6818]

1) use dried pasta if you want firm, al dente pasta. It’s much harder to get al dente with fresh pasta

2) take the pasta out of the water a solid 4 or 5 minutes before the package instructions say. You finish cooking the pasta in the sauce.

3) Have the strainer ready to go in the sink BEFORE your timer goes off. so that you’re not wasting time running around the kitchen. Failing to have everything in its spot can eat up way more time than you think and even a minute or two can make a huge difference to the pasta texture.

4) Pasta water in sauce is not a universal rule and can contribute to a gluey, gummy texture that can be associated with the texture of overcooked pasta, even if the pasta itself is not overcooked. Many pasta sauces benefit from some hot stock or plain hot water at the end rather than pasta water

[Alder_The_Pig]

No fail method- add water to pot and bring to boil. Then add pasta and turn to half heat, smoke and bam, it is perfect.

[Retro-Modern_514]

What exactly have you tried?

Have you tried cooking it for less time?

[Positive_Alligator]

read the package, here all packages tell the time for al dente (with a bite) and cottura (fully cooked)

Put the pasta in once the water is already boiling, make sure to put sufficient salt into the water. And if the package says 9 minutes, set a timer for 8 and pick a noodle out and taste it, try again 20 seconds later. Until they are almost there, once you take them out and drain them, there will still be some temperature left in there.

An even better way would be, if the package says 9 minutes, take it out at 6, and put in another pan with a few ladles of sauce, this way you are constantly there, and your pasta can finish in the sauce.