No Need to Cook Pasta, Just Enough Water
There are more efficient ways to cook pasta other than tossing it into a large pot of boiling salted water. For example, the next time there is pasta on the menu, try turning off the hotplate as soon as you drop the pasta and let it cook in hot water.
The guys at Cook’s Illustrated tried this method with several different types of pasta, including spaghetti, farfalle, shells, and ziti, and it worked great. They explain why:
Starch absorbs water at about 180 degrees. While the water is boiling (212 degrees), when you add the pasta, and your kitchen is at normal room temperature, the water will stay above 180 degrees from heat for longer than it normally takes 8-10 minutes. to make the pasta cook.
As soon as you dip the pasta in boiling water, cover it. Stir the pasta a couple of times to keep it from sticking, then cover again and let stand until al dente. You will get a perfectly cooked pasta without leaving the burner on, wasting energy, or waiting in the kitchen to make sure the pot doesn’t overboil.
What is Low Temperature Paste? | Illustrated chef