Knowing how much pasta to serve and how to cook and store pasta can also help you make the most of your noodle fixation.

 

Matching Pasta Shape to Sauce

Pasta and macaroni comes in dozens of shapes and sizes. Kids seems to like robust forms -- like wagon wheels and elbow macaroni -- while adults often lead toward more delicate shapes like angel hair pastas. The key to making any pasta better is using a sauce that complements the texture of the pasta. Some guidelines:

• Team thin pastas like spaghetti and linguine with lighter, thinner sauces
• With thicker pastas like fettuccine with heavier sauces
• Pasta with holes or ridges stands up to chunky sauces.

Amount to Cook

A serving of pasta is 2 ounces uncooked. For spaghetti, you can use an inexpensive measuring device found at home kitchen stores. For other pastas, use these approximations: 

• 2 ounces of dry pasta = 1 cup cooked
• Tiny pastas (orzo, for example) - 1/3 cup
• Small pastas (rotini, for example) 3/4 cup
• Medium pastas (bow ties, for example) - 1 cup
• Lasagna noodles - 2 to 3 pieces

Note: Most pastas double in volume when cooked.

How to Cook Pasta

Boil four to six quarts of water for every pound of dry pasta. Add the pasta, stirring at the outset and occasionally while cooking at a boil. Use the pasta maker's timing instructions as a guide only. Test for doneness about a minute beforehand so get the consistency you prefer.

Undercook the pasta by one-third if it's intended for a dish that will be cooked further. Taste the pasta to see if it's done: it should be cooked through but firm (a.k.a. "al dente"). Drain the pasta, but don't rinse it unless you're using it for a cold dish or you're going to refrigerate it before adding a sauce.

How to Safely Store Pasta

Dry uncooked pasta will keep in your cupboard for up to a year.

Cooked pastas with or without meat will keep in an airtight container in your fridge for up to the four days and in your freezer for up to four months. Cream sauces may become lumpy or separate when frozen and reheated, but they will be safe to serve, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Throw out pasta salads with mayonnaise that have been unrefrigerated for two hours or more.