[SD]Dallas, Texas, Valley View Center †

To cook pasta, boil a large pot of water, add salt, and cook the pasta according to the package directions until it's al dente. Reserve a cup of the starchy pasta water before draining, then add the pasta to your sauce and finish cooking it in the sauce, using the reserved water to help the sauce coat the pasta evenly. 1. Boil the water Use a large pot and fill it with plenty of water (about 6 quarts per pound of pasta is a good ratio). Bring the water to a full, rolling boil over high heat. 2. Salt the water Once the water is boiling, add a generous amount of salt. It should taste salty, like the sea. Adding salt seasons the pasta as it cooks. 3. Add and cook the pasta Add the pasta to the boiling, salted water and stir it immediately to prevent sticking. Continue to stir occasionally as the pasta cooks. Cook according to the package instructions, but start tasting a couple of minutes before the time is up. 4. Drain the pasta Before draining, reserve about one cup of the starchy