On busy nights when everybody's hungry, dinner can seem to take forever. Fortunately, there's one more shortcut you can take: quick cook pasta that is done to al dente firmness in only three minutes. Three-minute pasta is available in elbow, rotini and penne rigati varieties, and it cooks so quickly because it is thinner than traditional pasta. Cooking pasta fast doesn't change its taste, though very heavy sauces might overwhelm the thinner noodles. Making quick pasta is no different from making any other kind; it just takes less time.
Step 1
Fill a large pot with water. Choose a pot that can hold six to eight quarts of water for every 1 lb. of three-minute pasta, and that is large enough for the pasta to fit and expand without sticking together.
Step 2
Turn the heat to "High" and bring the water to a rolling boil. This means that the entire surface of the water in the pot will be moving. If the water isn't hot enough when you add the pasta, the pasta will have to stay in it longer, and will overcook.
Step 3
Add the pasta. A 1 ½-inch bunch of pasta will expand to 4 cups worth of pasta once it is cooked.
Step 4
Stir the pasta into the boiling water with a wooden spoon, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot where the pasta tends to stick.
Step 5
Set the timer for three minutes as soon as the water returns to a rolling boil. Stir the pasta occasionally to keep it from sticking to the pot or to itself.
Step 6
Taste a piece of pasta when the timer goes off to make sure that it is done.
Step 7
Drain the pasta by pouring it into a mesh strainer and shaking it very gently.
Tips and Warnings
- Toss three-minute pasta with olive oil while it's still hot to keep it from sticking together as it cools.
- Do not overcook three-minute pasta because it goes from al dente to mushy very quickly.
Things You'll Need
- Pot
- Wooden spoon
- Olive oil
- Timer
- Mesh strainer
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