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Pasta Timer
Tap the shape, choose al dente or soft, and start the timer when the pasta goes into boiling water.
9 minutes
Spacestart / pauseRresetFfull screen+ −add or remove a minute0–9type a time
Most packets say 9 to 11 minutes. Linguine and bucatini are within a minute of this.
Most packets say 11 to 13 minutes. Ridged penne takes the longer end.
Most packets say 11 to 13 minutes.
Most packets say 11 to 13 minutes. Bite the pinched middle, which cooks last.
Most packets say 13 to 15 minutes: thick walls take time.
Most packets say 7 to 9 minutes. Stop a minute early if it will be baked.
Most packets say 4 to 5 minutes. Stay at the stove: it overcooks fast.
Fresh egg pasta takes 2 to 4 minutes, depending on how thick it was rolled.
Fresh filled pasta takes 3 to 5 minutes. It is ready shortly after it floats.
Pasta cooking times by shape
| Pasta | Al dente | Soft | Usual packet range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angel hair (capellini) | 4 min | 5 min | 4–5 min |
| Macaroni (elbows) | 7 min | 9 min | 7–9 min |
| Spaghetti, linguine | 9 min | 11 min | 9–11 min |
| Penne | 11 min | 13 min | 11–13 min |
| Fusilli | 11 min | 13 min | 11–13 min |
| Farfalle (bow ties) | 11 min | 13 min | 11–13 min |
| Rigatoni | 13 min | 15 min | 13–15 min |
| Fresh egg pasta | 3 min | 4 min | 2–4 min |
| Fresh ravioli, tortellini | 4 min | 5 min | 3–5 min |
Times are for dried durum-wheat pasta (fresh where stated) in plenty of water at a rolling boil, counted from when the water comes back to the boil. Brands differ by a minute or two: when your packet gives a time, use that.
How to use it
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it. About 1 liter of water per 100 g of pasta (4 quarts per pound) keeps the boil going when the pasta drops in.
- Tap your pasta shape and choose al dente or soft. The timer sets itself; change it with the steppers if your packet says something different.
- Add the pasta, stir for the first half minute so it does not stick, and press Start when the water is boiling again.
- When the alarm sounds, bite a piece. If the very center is still hard and white, give it another minute. Save a cup of the cooking water, then drain.
Why shapes need different times
Dried pasta cooks from the outside in: water has to soak through to the center and the starch there has to heat up and soften. How long that takes depends almost entirely on how thick the pasta wall is, not on how long or how big the piece looks. Angel hair is under a millimeter thick and is done in about 4 minutes. Rigatoni has walls more than twice as thick as penne and needs 13 minutes or more.
Al dente means “to the tooth”: cooked through, but still firm when you bite, with no chalky white core. It is the early end of the packet range. Soft pasta is the late end, about two minutes more. Fresh egg pasta has not been dried, so there is far less water to take on and it cooks in two to four minutes.
When to take it out early
If the pasta will finish cooking in a pan of sauce, take it out one to two minutes before al dente and let it finish there with a splash of the cooking water. It absorbs sauce instead of plain water and the starch in the water helps the sauce cling.
Pasta for a baked dish such as macaroni cheese or lasagne sheets that need boiling should also come out a couple of minutes early, because it keeps cooking in the oven. Pasta for a cold salad is the exception: cook it to the soft end, because pasta firms up as it cools.
Common mistakes
- Starting the timer when the pasta goes in rather than when the water returns to the boil. In a small pot that gap can be two minutes.
- Using too little water. The temperature drops, the pasta sits in starchy water and sticks together.
- Trusting the clock over your teeth. Pull a piece out a minute before the alarm and bite it.
- Rinsing hot pasta. It washes off the surface starch that makes sauce stick. Rinse only for cold pasta salad.
- Leaving drained pasta sitting in the colander, where it keeps cooking in its own steam and clumps. Sauce it straight away.
Questions people ask
How long does spaghetti take to cook?
About 9 minutes for al dente and 11 for soft, counted from when the water returns to the boil. Thin spaghetti (spaghettini) takes about 2 minutes less and thick spaghetti about 2 minutes more. Check the packet: brands differ.
How do I know when pasta is al dente?
Bite a piece or cut it in half. It should be tender on the outside with a little firmness in the middle and no hard white core. If you can see a pale, chalky dot in the center, it needs another minute.
How long does fresh pasta take?
Two to four minutes for fresh egg noodles such as tagliatelle, and three to five for filled shapes such as ravioli and tortellini. Fresh pasta is ready very soon after it floats to the surface.
Does whole-wheat or gluten-free pasta take longer?
Whole-wheat pasta usually takes a minute or two longer than the same shape in white. Gluten-free pasta made from rice, corn or legumes varies a lot between brands and goes from firm to mushy quickly, so follow the packet and start tasting two minutes early.
Should I add oil to the water?
There is no need. Oil floats on top and does not stop sticking. Enough water, a rolling boil and a stir in the first minute do.