How Long to Cook Fresh Pasta

Fill an 8-quart pot about 3/4 full with hot water. Use enough water that the pasta has room to move around - if the pot is too crowded, the strands stick together as they cook and you end up with a clump.

Add about 2 teaspoons of sea salt per 4 quarts of water. The salt seasons the pasta itself, not just the water. Fresh pasta is bland on its own, so this step is non-negotiable - under-salted water means under-flavored pasta no matter what sauce you add.

Drizzle in roughly 2 teaspoons of olive oil. The oil keeps the strands from sticking together as they cook and helps later when the pasta hits the colander. Optional, but particularly useful for fresh pasta which is starchier than dried.

Crank the heat to high and wait until the water hits a rolling boil - vigorous bubbles, not just simmering. Adding pasta to under-boiled water is the #1 cause of mushy results. Don't rush this; it takes 8 to 12 minutes on a typical stove.

Shake any excess flour off the fresh pasta, then lower it into the boiling water. Cooking time depends on shape:

• Angel hair: 1 to 1.5 minutes
• Spaghetti / fettuccine: 4 to 5 minutes
• Pappardelle / lasagna sheets: 5 to 6 minutes
• Filled (ravioli, tortellini): 5 to 7 minutes - they're done when they float

Half the time of dried pasta is a useful rule of thumb when in doubt.

Stir with a wooden spoon every minute or so. The motion prevents clumping and helps the olive oil disperse around the strands. Don't stir aggressively - fresh pasta is delicate and will tear.

Pull a piece out 30 seconds before the timer ends and bite into it. You want al dente: tender on the outside but with a tiny bit of resistance in the very center. If it's still chalky-white in the middle, give it 30 more seconds.

Pour the pot into a colander to drain. Do not rinse the pasta. The starch on the surface is what makes sauce cling - rinsing strips it away and your pasta tastes naked. Plate immediately and add the sauce while the pasta is still steaming so it absorbs the flavors.