Spaghetti, be it Italian, Japanese or Chinese (noodles), can be a perfect side dish or a delicious dish. You can cook them in five minutes and enjoy them with butter and cheese, or season them with a special sauce when you have guests for dinner. They are also an excellent addition to soups and stews. Different types of spaghetti require different cooking times, but are always easy to cook. Read the instructions below and find out how to cook spaghetti made from durum wheat or made with egg pasta, rice or mung bean noodles, or buckwheat noodles, the so-called "soba".
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Durum Wheat Spaghetti or made with Egg Pasta
Step 1. Boil a pot of water over high heat
Step 2. Add a pinch of salt to the water
This will flavor the spaghetti and boil the water at an even higher temperature, reducing cooking times.
Step 3. Pour the spaghetti into boiling water
You may need to break them in half if they are too long for the pot.
- Do not pour the spaghetti until the water begins to boil or they are mushy at the end of cooking.
- Pour them carefully so as not to splash the boiling water.
Step 4. Let them boil
Cooking times, usually between 5 and 12 minutes, vary according to the thickness of the spaghetti. Read the instructions on the package.
Step 5. Taste
Using a fork or spoon, remove the spaghetti from the water and taste it. It should be tender enough to chew on, but always al dente. There are also other ways to tell if spaghetti is cooked:
- Throw a piece of spaghetti against the wall. If it sticks, it's cooked.
- If the spaghetti are a little light at the ends, cooking is not finished yet.
- If the noodles easily wrap around a fork, they are cooked.
Step 6. Remove the spaghetti from the heat and drain
Pour them into a colander to remove the water.
Step 7. Pour the spaghetti into a bowl and add a drizzle of oil, enough for them not to stick to each other
Step 8. Season them or use them to complete another dish
These spaghetti are delicious seasoned with butter, olive oil, salt and pepper. But you can also add them to a stew or soup, or enjoy them with tomato sauce.
Method 2 of 4: Rice Noodles
Step 1. Leave the rice noodles to soak for 30 minutes
This will soften them and prepare them for cooking.
If you are using fresh noodles, you can skip this step
Step 2. Drain the spaghetti
Step 3. Boil a pot of water
Step 4. Pour the spaghetti into the water
Cooking times vary depending on the type of spaghetti. Usually, however, they cook very quickly: as soon as they become fluffy, they are ready.
- The rice noodles that you usually find on the market must boil for about 5 minutes.
- The vermicelli are cooked after only 2 minutes.
Step 5. Drain the spaghetti
Pour them into a colander to remove the water.
Step 6. Serve on the table
Use rice noodles to complete salads or soups, or fry and serve them giving them the shape of a bird's nest.
Method 3 of 4: Mung Bean Spaghetti
Step 1. Boil a pot of water
Step 2. Remove the water from the heat and let it cool a little
Mung bean spaghetti should not boil but only soak in hot water.
Step 3. Pour the spaghetti into hot water and let them rest for 15-20 minutes, until tender
Step 4. Drain the spaghetti
Pour them into a colander to remove the water.
Step 5. Use mung bean noodles to complement soups, stews, or dishes with stir-fried meat, vegetables or tofu
Method 4 of 4: Buckwheat Noodles (Soba)
Step 1. Boil a pot of water by adding a pinch of salt
Step 2. Pour the spaghetti into boiling water
Step 3. Wait until the water boils again
Step 4. Pour 230ml of cold water into the pot
This will prevent the spaghetti from overcooking.
Step 5. Cook the spaghetti for about 5-7 minutes
They should be very tender but not mushy. Be careful not to let them boil too much, they overcook very quickly.
Step 6. Drain the spaghetti
Step 7. Rinse them quickly with cold water to stop cooking
Step 8. Serve hot or cold
In summer, the Japanese love them served with cold broth, while in winter they are usually eaten with hot broth. They are delicious when cooked with a spicy sauce made with peanut butter, fish and grilled vegetables.
