Pasta cooking tips (including gluten-free)

Pasta is the foundation of many easy meals, but cooking it just right may seem tricky. Follow these tips for making perfect pasta:

Pasta expands quite a bit, so use a big enough pot and plenty of salted water.
Stir pasta frequently to avoid having it stick and clump together.
Follow directions on the package for cooking time; and check it early to make sure it's not overdone (too soft).
Cook pasta until al dente, meaning "to the tooth." When you bite into a piece of pasta you should feel a slight resistance in the center — it should be firm and not soft.
Pasta continues to cook after it is drained so take it off the heat just before it reaches the al dente stage.
Don't rinse pasta after it's been drained, since you'll wash away starches that help the sauces coat it.

Cooking Gluten-free pasta

Set your timer — gluten-free pastas can go from al dente to mushy in no time.
Prevent stickiness by adding a couple teaspoons of oil to the water before adding the pasta and stirring the pasta often.
Rinse gluten-free pasta after cooking — run cold water over the pasta to stop the cooking and to keep it al dente.
When making soup, add noodles at the end of cooking as they will not hold up to long boiling or simmering.
Serve right away — gluten-free pastas can turn mushy, firm or gritty as they cool.