How to Make Spaghetti

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Spaghetti makes a great inexpensive meal that cooks up fast. In the time it takes to cook the noodles, you can make a number of sauces. If you're in a hurry, quickly brown your choice of ground meat and then briefly simmer it with a jar of your favorite pasta sauce. For a non-red sauce option, toss the noodles with browned butter, garlic, and Parmesan. If you have the time to make a homemade red sauce, sauté red onion with tomatoes, garlic, and basil.

Ingredients

Spaghetti^{[1]
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8 to 16 ounces (446 to 892 g) dry spaghetti noodles
Water
1 to 2 tablespoons (17 to 34 g) kosher salt

Makes 4 to 8 servings

Quick Meat Sauce^{[2]
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12 ounces (670 g) spaghetti, cooked and drained
2 tablespoons (30 ml) canola or vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 24-ounce (680 g) jar or can of red pasta sauce
1 pound (0.45 kg) ground meat such as beef, turkey, pork, or chicken
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Parmesan and Garlic Sauce^{[3]
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8 ounces (446 g) spaghetti, cooked and drained
10 tablespoons (140 g) unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon (2 g) crushed red pepper flakes, optional
1/2 cup (50 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons (7.6 g) fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Makes 2 to 3 servings

Homemade Red Sauce^{[4]
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12 ounces (670 g) spaghetti, cooked and drained
1 28-ounce (784 g) can whole, peeled tomatoes
2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
⅓ of a red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 to 2 handfuls of fresh basil, torn
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Cooking the Spaghetti

1
Decide how much pasta to cook. Determine how many servings of spaghetti you'd like for each person you're feeding. Most packages of spaghetti will tell you how much of the box to cook to get a desired number of servings. For example, if you're making spaghetti for 3 people, cook half of the box. To measure spaghetti perfectly, you can use kitchen tools or household objects also.
- To avoid overcrowding the pot, don't cook more than 16 ounces (892 g) of spaghetti at a time.
2
Fill a large pot with cold or cool water. If you're cooking 12 to 16 ounces (670 to 892 g) of spaghetti, use a 5 to 6-quart (4.7 to 5.6 liter) pot. For less than this, you can use a 3 or 4-quart (2.8 to 3.7 liter) pot. Fill whichever size pot you're using 3/4 full of water.
- If you use a pot that's too small, the noodles will clump together as they cook.
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3
Add salt and bring the water to a boil. Stir 1 to 2 tablespoons (17 to 34 g) of kosher salt into the water and put a lid on the pot. Turn the burner to high so the water begins to boil vigorously.
- You should see steam start to escape from under the lid once the water begins to boil.
- If you're using fresh (not dried) spaghetti, don't put salt in the water.
4
Stir the spaghetti into the boiling water. Use oven mitts to remove the lid from the pot. Slowly lower the noodles into the water so it doesn't splash and use tongs or a spaghetti spoon to stir the noodles well. The water should quickly come back to a boil.
- Consider breaking the noodles in half if you'd like shorter spaghetti noodles.
5
Set a timer for 8 to 11 minutes and stir the noodles frequently. Read the package instructions for the noodles you're making and set a timer for the recommended boiling time. Stir the noodles frequently as they boil so they don't clump together.
- Since noodles are made with different flours, it's important to follow the specific cooking instructions for your package.
- Leave the lid off of the pot as the spaghetti boils.
6
Test the spaghetti to see if it's as soft as you like. Lift a noodle out of the pot and bite it in half. The center shouldn't be hard at all. The noodle should have a soft center, but not be mushy once it's finished cooking.
- If you test a piece and the center is still hard, cook the noodles 1 to 2 more minutes and then test another noodle.
7
Drain the cooked spaghetti using a colander. Once the noodles are done to your liking, turn off the burner and set a colander or strainer in the sink. Carefully lift the pot of spaghetti over to the sink and slowly pour it into the colander.
- Always pour the hot water and noodles away from your body so the steam moves away from your face.
- Avoid rinsing the drained noodles with cold water. Doing so will make it harder for the sauce to stick to the noodles.
8
Top the noodles with your favorite sauce and serve the spaghetti. Toss the drained noodles with the sauce of your choice or divide the noodles among serving plates. Then spoon the sauce over each serving of noodles.
- If you'd rather store the noodles, let the noodles cool completely and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 5 days.
- To make it easier to use refrigerated noodles, consider tossing them with up to 2 teaspoons (9.9 ml) of olive oil before you store them.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Cooking the Quick Meat Sauce

1
Sauté the onion and garlic over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Pour 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of canola or vegetable oil into a large skillet and turn the burner to medium-high. Once the oil shimmers, stir in 1 chopped onion and 2 tablespoons of minced garlic.
- Stir and cook the onion with garlic until the onion becomes clear and the garlic smells fragrant.
2
Add 1 pound (0.45 kg) of ground meat and cook it for 7 to 8 minutes. Use a spoon to break up the meat as it cooks and stir it frequently until the meat isn't pink anymore. You can use beef, turkey, pork, or chicken.
- If you like, you can use a combination of different meats.
3
Drain the meat if there's a lot of grease in the pan. Most ground meats will produce a lot of grease in the skillet. If there's more than a spoonful in the bottom of the skillet, you'll need to drain it off. Set a can or metal jar in the sink and put a lid on the skillet. Carefully tilt the pan so the grease gathers on 1 side of the pan and the lid stops the meat from falling out. Slowly pour the grease into the can.
- Let the grease cool before you discard it.
- Avoid pouring the hot grease directly into the sink because the grease will clog the pipes.
4
Stir in and simmer the pasta sauce for 10 minutes. Open the jar of red pasta sauce and stir it into the skillet. Stir until the sauce is combined with the meat and onions. Turn the burner to medium-low so the sauce bubbles gently and put the lid on the skillet.
- Stir the sauce once or twice to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the skillet.
5
Serve the meat sauce over the cooked spaghetti. Get out 12 ounces (670 g) of cooked spaghetti and divide it among your serving plates. Then spoon some of the meat sauce over the noodles. Garnish the spaghetti with grated Parmesan cheese if you like.
- If you prefer, mix the noodles into the sauce and then divide the spaghetti between serving plates.
- Refrigerate leftover spaghetti and meat sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 or 4 days. Keep in mind that the noodles will soften the longer they're stored.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Making Parmesan and Garlic Sauce

1
Melt the butter with garlic and red pepper flakes over medium heat. Put 10 tablespoons (140 g) of unsalted butter into a medium saucepan and turn the burner on to medium. Stir in 3 cloves of minced garlic.
- If you want spicy pasta, add 1 teaspoon (2 g) of crushed red pepper flakes.
2
Cook and whisk the butter over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Keep the butter mixture over medium heat and whisk it constantly. Keep cooking the mixture until the butter turns a rich gold color.
- It's important not to walk away while the butter is browning because it can burn quickly.
3
Turn off the burner and stir in the cooked noodles and cheese. You'll need to add 8 ounces (446 g) of cooked and drained spaghetti to the saucepan. Sprinkle 1/2 cup (50 g) of freshly grated Parmesan cheese over the noodles. Then use tongs to toss the noodles with the cheese and garlic butter.
- If you don't have tongs, use a large spoon and fork to combine the noodles with cheese and butter.
4
Serve the Parmesan garlic spaghetti. Taste the pasta and add salt and pepper as needed. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons (7.6 g) of chopped fresh parsley leaves over the pasta. Then serve it immediately.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 or 4 days.
- The butter and cheese may separate from the noodles the longer the pasta is stored.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Cooking Homemade Red Sauce

1
Puree the canned tomatoes. Open a 28-ounce (784 g) can of whole, peeled tomatoes and spoon the tomatoes into a blender or food processor. Put the lid on the blender and pulse it until they're as smooth as you like.
- If you'd like a chunky, rustic sauce, you can skip this step and just mash the tomatoes with the back of a spoon once the sauce has simmered.
- For a very smooth sauce, blend the tomatoes until no chunks remain.
2
Sauté the onion for 5 to 6 minutes. Heat 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of extra-virgin olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, stir in 1/3 of a roughly chopped onion.
- Stir the onion frequently as it cooks to prevent it from sticking to the pan.
- The onion should soften a little and become translucent.
3
Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes if you're using them. Peel and chop 3 cloves of garlic into 0.4 in (1 cm) pieces. Stir the garlic into the pan with the onions. Add 1 pinch of red pepper flakes if you want the sauce to have a little spicy heat. Let the sauce cook for about 30 seconds.
- The garlic should become fragrant. Avoid cooking the garlic for more than a minute because it will burn quickly.
4
Stir in the tomatoes and add salt and pepper to taste. Pour the pureed tomatoes from the blender into the skillet. Stir the tomatoes so they're combined with the onions and garlic. Then taste the sauce and add as much salt and pepper as you like.
- For the best flavor, taste the sauce frequently as it cooks. Continue to adjust the seasoning so the flavors develop.
5
Simmer the red sauce over medium-low heat for 30 minutes. Keep the burner at medium heat until the sauce begins to bubble. Then turn the burner down to medium-low so the sauce bubbles gently. Keep the lid off of the pot and simmer the sauce so it thickens a little.
- Stir the sauce frequently to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
6
Tear fresh basil and stir it into the sauce. Get out 1 to 2 handfuls of fresh basil and tear each leaf into 2 to 3 pieces. Stir the torn basil into the sauce and then turn off of the burner.
- The basil should wilt once it's added to the hot red sauce.
- Remember to taste the sauce and add more salt or pepper if necessary.
7
Spoon the red sauce over cooked spaghetti and serve it immediately. Place drained spaghetti noodles on serving plates and pour some of the homemade red sauce over them. If you prefer, toss the noodles with the sauce in the pan before you put them on serving plates.
- Consider topping the spaghetti with grated cheese, more fresh basil, or a drizzle of extra-virgin-olive oil.
- Store the leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 or 4 days.

Spaghetti Recipes

Sample Spaghetti with Meat Sauce Recipe

Sample Spaghetti with Parmesan and Garlic Sauce Recipe

Sample Spaghetti with Red Sauce Recipe

Community Q&A
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Question

My red sauce has become watery lately. How can I stop it from being watery? I make my own sauce from tomato puree, paste, garlic, onions, pork ribs and water and cook it for 3-4 hours.

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Try adding less water that you usually use. You could start with half the amount and see if that helps. You can always add more if it becomes too thick.
Question

What do I need to make spaghetti?

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At minimum, you’ll need spaghetti noodles, a big pot, some water, and a little salt. You’ll also need a topping for the noodles, which can be as simple as butter or olive oil. You can also buy pre-made sauce in jars for a quick and easy topping.
Question

How do I make spaghetti better?

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Try adding vegetables to the sauce to make it more nutritious and interesting. For example, you could cut up some mushrooms, zucchini, and eggplant, sauté them with garlic or onion in a little olive oil, then stir them into the sauce and let it simmer until the veggies are nice and tender. Throw in some browned meat or homemade meatballs too, if you like!