Tips for cooking pasta

Pasta should always be cooked at a rolling boil in lightly salted water. The salt both allows the water to boil at a lower temperature and seasons your noodles. Pasta needs room to move while it cooks, so a large pot of water is ideal.

Our egg noodles are dried in nests, allowing for storage and transport. A large spoon or other blunt utensil is helpful to move the noodles around as they cook, assisting in their separation

Our reccomended cook times are approximate. The best way to tell if pasta is done is to try a little, don't throw it against the wall to see if it sticks. It should be cooked but retain a slight firmness in the center. This is known as "al dente" (meaning to the tooth).

Never rinse pasta when it's done (unless serving it chilled). Rinsing washes off precious starches that release during cooking, these starches allow whatever sauces and flavors you're adding to adhere to the pasta. If you happen to have cooked pasta but are waiting for that bolognese to finish, toss the noodles in a light amount of oil or butter to keep them from sticking together. 

It's a great idea to reserve some of the water you've cooked your pasta in. It's full of wheat-starchy goodness and adding just a tablespoon or two to your pasta sauce will add a slight thickening agent and just a little more flavor.