Generally, an adult will consume eight ounces of cooked pasta as a main dish serving. Thus, a pound of quality spaghetti with yield five main dish servings. A 20-pound box will yield 100 servings.
How do you cook pasta perfectly every time?
- Boil 4 to 6 quarts of water for one pound of dry pasta. (You can divide this recipe depending on how much pasta you are cooking.)
- Add the pasta with a stir and return the water to a boil.
- Stir the pasta occasionally during cooking.
- Follow the package directions for cooking times. If the pasta is to be used as part of a dish that requires further cooking, undercook the pasta by 1/3 of the cooking time specified on the package.
- Taste the pasta to determine if it is done. Perfectly cooked pasta should be "al denté", or firm to the bite, yet cooked through.
- Drain pasta immediately and follow the rest of the recipe.
