When you cook pasta...

[mamadelbosque]

How much water do you use? On the box it always has what (to me at least) seems like a ridiculous amount of water to use - something like 6 QUARTS for one pound of pasta. I probably use 2 maybe 3 at most when I'm cooking a pound of pasta, and it always comes out just peachy fine. I guess I'm just asking if it really makes a difference? I just don't see the point in using such a HUGE pan and heating up SO much water...

[AFWife]

I always use enough to cover the pasta...like, about an inch of water above the pasta level I guess? Yeah, mine always comes out fine too. I don't think I've ever measured it

[HollyBearsMom]

I never measure. I have one pot I always use just for pasta (have some celiac friends so try not to cross contiminate) and I just fill it 1/2 way for a whole box.

[Sol_y_Paz]

I have no idea and probably use a different amount each time. I never measure.

[cristeen]

I use enough to cover plus a bit - never the full recommended amount.

But I also make pasta without boiling it at all - dumping it into a wet sauce and let it cook for a long time. It works just fine that way, too.

The recommendation is for letting the pasta "swim free" to avoid clumps, but is not feasible for me.

[Ola_]

Hmm, I've never actually measured. I put it in the big pot if I'm making a whole box or a medium pot if it's a smaller amount. LOL

[Alyantavid]

I don't measure anything, I'm definitely not measuring boiling water. Like the pp's, I just fill to cover the pasta and let it go.

[KatWrangler]

I don't measure. I just make sure there is plenty of water over the pasta.

[Drummer's Wife]

I definitely don't ever measure, just fill up the pan almost to the top.

Oh, and I always rinse pasta after draining. DH thought I was weird when we first got together b/c he had no idea people did this.

[velochic]

Double post again! Sorry, something is going on with my computer.

[velochic]

Huge pot, lots of water, salt and let it dance... then I put the pasta in the sauce and let it finish cooking in the sauce. Sometimes I add some of the pasta water to thicken the sauce a little bit (the starch factor). I never measure in cooking. Never, but the pot is an 8 qt. stock pot (I think) and I usually never cook an entire pound of pasta.

[ollyoxenfree]

I'm sure I don't use 6 quarts for a pound of pasta - maybe 3 or 4. Like others, I just fill the pot until the water would be about an inch or two higher than the pasta. I bring it to a boil and then dump in the pasta. As long as the pasta can move about the pot, it's turns out fine.

[texaspeach]

Originally Posted by velochic

Huge pot, lots of water, salt and let it dance... then I put the pasta in the sauce and let it finish cooking in the sauce. Sometimes I add some of the pasta water to thicken the sauce a little bit (the starch factor). I never measure in cooking. Never, but the pot is an 8 qt. stock pot (I think) and I usually never cook an entire pound of pasta.

this is how I do it. I use an 8qt stock pot filled about 3/4 of the way full