Why is it that whenever I cook pasta, it goes hard? I don't undercook it & I follow the instructions!?

Answer 1

u must overcook it

Answer 2

Use a lot of water and an 8-quart pot (5 to 6 quarts of water for a pound of pasta). Pasta, like tango dancers, needs room to move. If you don't have a pot large enough to hold that much water and still be three-fourths full or less, splitting pasta into two pots of boiling water is better than overloading one pot. An overloaded pot will splash boiling water all over the stovetop.


Salt the water to add flavor and to help the pasta absorb the sauce. As a general guideline, 4 quarts of water takes about 2 teaspoons of salt, and 6 quarts of water calls for 1 tablespoon of salt.


Oil is for salads, not pasta water. You don't need to add oil to the water if you use enough water and stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Be sure to stir the pasta immediately and thoroughly after adding it to the water.


Cover the pot to hasten heat recovery. After you add pasta to the water, the water ceases to boil. When the water begins boiling again, remove the lid and finish cooking.


Save a cup of the cooking liquid when the pasta is done. You can use some of the liquid to add moisture to the sauce. The starch in the water binds the sauce, helping it adhere to the pasta.


Do not rinse pasta. When the pasta is al dente (tender but firm), pour it gradually into a colander. Do not rinse! You want starch on the pasta to help the sauce adhere to it. The only exception is if you are making a cold pasta salad.


After draining it, you may want to place the pasta in the pan in which the sauce is cooking and stir well. This method coats the pasta better than spooning the sauce on top. Serve from the saucepan.


Never combine two types or sizes of pasta in the same pot of water. Fishing out the type that is done first is a real nuisance.


Don't try to speak broken Italian when you serve your pasta. "Bonissimo! Perfectamente mia amigas, Mangia, Mangia!" You will sound silly and irritate your guests.

The time-tested method for checking pasta for doneness is still the best: Scoop out a strand or two with a fork, take the pasta in hand, jump around and toss the scalding pasta in the air, and then taste it. (You don't really have to toss it in the air, but it makes the process more fun.)

Answer 3

I agree with jojo78 - boil the water first (adding a little salt if you like), then add the pasta while it's boiling. Turn it down to a simmer, and leave for just under the time it says on the packet. Stir every few minutes to make sure it doesn't stick. Test it to see if it's soft enough, then cook for a little longer if not.

One important thing - you should make sure you have enough water to *more* than cover the pasta when it goes in as a) the water will evaporate, b) the pasta will expand as it cooks.

When you've cooked it to your satisfaction drain the water off (but not til it's completely dry) then add a little olive oil to make sure it doesn't stick.

Hope that helps you!

Answer 4

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. 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.

Answer 5

Hi, i only folllow instuctions to an extent, heres how i do it, boil the kettle, put pasta into the pan and cover with the boiling water and bring to the boil on the hob, keep checking the pasta and stiring it, try about half way through stick a fork through and it its soft it will go right through, the pasta should also go white and swell. It should take around 10-20 mins but the trick is not to let the water boil dry, and keep trying it so you get the texture right.

Answer 6

A little tip with pasta is to add about a tablespoon of vegatable oil to your boiling water. It stops the pasta from sticking together and clumping hard. Also try a gentle boil instead of a rolling boil while cooking for a extra few minutes longer. You'll see a big difference.

Answer 7

Timing is the key to all cooking. Make your sauce then cook your pasta, So that you can mix them together as soon as they have cooked. I hate pasta which is to soft I like it with a bit of a bite. Aldente i think its called.

Hope this helps ya.

Answer 8

do you add it before the water is boiling? I like to let my water boil for at least a minute before I add my pasta, and then I stir it in slowly to keep them from sticking together. always cook 8-10 minutes, if you don't like the aldente, the chewy middle, then cook for 10 but not over 12, you'll have soggy noodles

Answer 9

I don't know where you are, but elevation is very important. Due to the reduced pressure at higher elevations, water will boil at sometimes greatly reduced temperatures. You may be cooking it for a long enough period, but you may also be cooking it at 95 degrees Celsius. Try cooking it longer. You can also salt the water, as this raises the boiling point of water. Other than that, I don't know of any other reason for that to occur.

Answer 10

the best way to cook pasta is to boil the water first, then salt it, throw in your pasta, stir every couple of minutes until the time on the packet says, taste it, if its too hard, let it cook for another minute or so

Answer 11

You must be undercooking it. Add it to boiling sated water, give a good stir leave for 10 minutes and then give it the bite test, it should just be 'a la dente' soft with a little bit of bite, strain and serve.