Plate of spaghetti topped with grated cheese
    3 min read Planning Guide

    How Italians Cook Pasta (The 1-10-100 Rule)

    Short answer

    Use 1 litre of water and 10 g of salt for every 100 g of pasta. Cook it 1–2 minutes less than the packet says, save some pasta water, and finish the pasta in the pan with the sauce.

    Quick guide

    Pasta, the Italian way

    22 min Easy 4 servings
    People
    Packet cooking time

    You need

    • 400 g dried pasta (100 g per person)
    • 4 litres water
    • 40 g coarse salt
    • Your sauce, ready in a wide pan

    1. Big pot, lots of water

      Bring 4 litres of water to a rolling boil — 1 litre per 100 g of pasta.

    2. Salt the water

      Once it boils, add 40 g coarse salt (10 g per litre). No oil.

    3. Pasta in, stir

      Add 400 g pasta and stir for the first minute so it doesn't stick.

    4. Cook to al dente

      Cook 8 min — 2 minutes less than the packet — then taste: it should still have a firm bite. Save a mug of pasta water, drain, don't rinse.

    5. Finish in the sauce

      Toss the pasta in the pan with the sauce over the heat for 1–2 min, adding splashes of pasta water until it's glossy and the sauce clings.

    The Italian 1-10-100 rule: 1 litre of water and 10 g of salt for every 100 g of pasta.

    Plan it around your serving time →

    Italian home cooks follow a few simple rules for pasta: plenty of water, properly salted, al dente, and married to the sauce in the pan. That last step is the one most people skip.

    1-10-100

    1 litre of water, 10 grams of salt, 100 grams of pasta. Plenty of water keeps the temperature up when the pasta goes in and stops it sticking. The salt is the only chance to season the pasta itself.

    No Oil in the Water

    Oil floats on the water and does nothing to stop sticking. Stirring in the first minute does that. Oil also coats the cooked pasta so the sauce slides off.

    Al Dente Means a Little Bite

    Taste a piece a couple of minutes before the packet time. It should be cooked through but still firm in the centre. It keeps cooking in the sauce, so take it out early.

    Want to skip the guesswork?

    The Pasta Water Trick

    The cloudy, starchy cooking water is what makes sauce glossy and clingy. Toss the drained pasta with the sauce in the pan over the heat, adding a splash at a time. Never rinse cooked pasta: you wash away the starch that holds the sauce.

    Plan Your Dinner

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    4

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How much salt do Italians put in pasta water?

    About 10 g per litre of water: the 1-10-100 rule of 1 litre of water and 10 g of salt for every 100 g of pasta.

    Should you add oil to pasta water?

    No. It doesn't prevent sticking (stirring does) and it makes the sauce slide off the pasta.

    How much pasta per person?

    Around 80–100 g of dried pasta per person, depending on whether it's a first course or the main meal.

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