What method do you use to see if your pasta is done?

I always put olive oil in he water when I cook pasta and I taste it to see if it's done.

No such thing as 'done.' It can be soft or firm, however you want it & what you do with it.

Quote from handyguy : No such thing as 'done.'

So you can never eat it?



I figured "to your liking" wasn't necessary...like when cooking a steak.

Quote from Schooby : I always put olive oil in he water when I cook pasta and I taste it to see if it's done.

When you put any type of "oil" in the water, it prevents the sauce from sticking to the pasta; known fact. So you are better off using a proper size pot, with the correct amount of water, and salting it, than using oil; your sauce will actually stick to the pasta much better this way; rather than slide off when you add the sauce

i don't think you understand Picca, but when i use a huge pot and tons of water for even half a pound of pasta, i still manage to have pasta stick to the bottom of the pot if i don't stir it often enough. adding a little oil to the water eliminates that problem.

Am I to understand that some people add sauce while the spaghetti is in the pot?

I had spaghetti made of corn a couple of weeks ago. It become really creamy when cooked, I'll stick with the regular stuff.

Quote from emelvee : So you can never eat it? I figured "to your liking" wasn't necessary...like when cooking a steak.

I prefer 'ready.'

A local pasta place requires 14 min to make each one & can do 6 @ a time. Seats 78 people. So if you are #50 you are in for quite a wait.

Quote from jmegirl : i don't think you understand Picca, but when i use a huge pot and tons of water for even half a pound of pasta, i still manage to have pasta stick to the bottom of the pot if i don't stir it often enough. adding a little oil to the water eliminates that problem.

What type of pot do you use, the material of the pot?

Quote from Frogstar : Am I to understand that some people add sauce while the spaghetti is in the pot?

You could if you drained it first with a proper strainer over the top of the pot; if you wanted to; I would suppose. Though I don't do it that way, I have a colander that I strain mine into, then into a pasta bowl it goes, and the sauce is already heated and poured over the spaghetti with the meatballs in it. Though if you wanted to keep it in the pot which is already hot, you could strain it and put the sauce in the pot, and serve from that; just put something underneath so it doesn't mar your table top I have very thick table top pads for my dining room table; and even with that, I still wouldn't trust a pot that hot right from the top of my oven

There is that plastic cylinder & you put boiling water in it & then your noodles & they cook just perfect.