Pasta timer — al dente in one click

Most dried Italian pasta cooks al dente in 8–12 minutes; fresh egg pasta needs only 2–4. Start the timer the moment the pasta hits boiling salted water and taste one strand a minute before the low end.

Typical times by shape

Spaghetti and linguine land at 8–10 minutes, penne and rigatoni at 10–12, orzo and other small shapes at 7–9, and fresh egg pasta at 2–4. Wholewheat runs a minute or two longer than its white equivalent. The packet is a starting point, not a verdict — brands vary.

How to hit al dente

Salt the water heavily, keep it at a proper boil, and start the timer as the pasta goes in. Taste a strand one minute before the low end of the range: al dente is a firm bite with no chalky white core. If the sauce still needs to reduce, pull the pasta a minute early and finish it in the pan with a ladle of the cooking water.

Draining and timing the rest of the dish

Keep a cup of starchy water before draining — it emulsifies the sauce. Sauce should be ready before the pasta is, so start it first; the multi-stage cooking timer can run both steps in one sequence.