How to Tell When Pasta is Cooked

People often ask how they can tell exactly when pasta is cooked. Luckily, this is something that doesn’t take years of practice to do. All you have to know is what cooked pasta tastes like. Basically, mimic the taste and texture of this cooked pasta. After one or two tries, most people usually get it right. For more help, try these tips:

1. Always try to follow the directions on the cooking package. They are there for a reason, so USE THEM.
2. Cooked pasta is mildly chewy. When tasting it, you should get a firm, but mildly soft texture that doesn’t stick to your teeth. If the pasta seems to hard, cook it for about 1 minute more.
3. The best way to tell when pasta is cooked is to cut it in half and examine its color. If the pasta has a uniform color between the center and the outside rings of the pasta, it’s cooked. If there is a color difference, it needs to be cooked longer.
4. Remember that the tip with throwing pasta against a wall DOES NOT WORK. Overcooked pasta sticks to wall just like cooked pasta.