Procedure

1. Begin with at least 5 quarts of cold water in a large pot. Once the water comes to a boil, add about ½ tablespoon salt, then the dried or fresh pasta.
2. Begin timing the pasta once the water returns to a boil, using the package instructions as your guide. Taste a piece of pasta to determine whether it's done to your liking. Al dente pasta will be somewhat chewy and slightly firm. The pasta will continue cooking until you remove it from the hot water, so there's no need to cook it to a mushy state.
3. It can be helpful to augment your sauce if you reserve one to two cups of the cooking water before draining the pasta into a colander. For best results, do not run cold water over the cooked pasta. Return the warm pasta to the cooking pot, combine it with the sauce and serve.
4. If preparing a pasta salad, spread the hot pasta on a cookie sheet in a single layer to cool.

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