A week doesn’t go by that our family meal plan doesn’t include a pasta dish.

From our favourite Mac and Cheese Casserole to a classic Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce there’s always at least one.

But there have been times when the pasta is too hard or has been overcooked!

So I wanted to share our top tips for cooking pasta to perfection. There really is a secret to getting it right!

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How to Cook the Perfect Pasta

Pasta is cooked to perfection when it is “al dente”.

It means that it’s cooked for just the right amount of time so it’s got a little bit of a bite to it and not soft and squishy.

It takes a little bit of practice but once you have the secret you can prepare the perfect pasta for the family every time.

In general, it takes between 7 and 10 minutes to get to the perfect pasta.

ONCE the water is boiling.

It’s important that you keep an eye on your pasta whilst it cooks.

You want to know when it boils and then let it boil for a good 6 minutes or a couple of minutes before the packet says it is ready!

You want it to be a little bit chewy and not stick to your teeth just the way that you like it.

If it’s sticky and still too hard to chew then test again in 1 minute with another piece of pasta.

So simple and once you know the timings for that type of pasta from that store you can just set a timer and let it cook.