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Pasta or Noodles, Plain (or Tossed with Butter or Oil)

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Makes 4 to 8 servings, depending on the meal 1x

Time 30 minutes

In How to Cook Everything Fast, recipe directions are separated into “prep” and “cook.” Here, we’ve made that distinction with italics for prep-work and plain text for cooking. This reflects the most efficient order and timing of tasks.

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Ingredients

  • Salt
  • 1 pound any pasta or egg noodles
  • 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil (optional)
  • Pepper (optional)

Instructions

  1. Fill a large pot halfway full of water and bring to a boil; salt it.
  2. When the water boils, add the pasta. If you have long strands, hold them in a bundle above the pot and gently swirl them in the water until the bottom of the strands soften and you can fit the rest in the pot.
  3. Stir frequently with a fork or tongs to keep the pasta or noodles from sticking together. Start tasting after 5 minutes.
  4. When the pasta is tender but not mushy, drain it, reserving about 1 cup cooking liquid (even if you don’t think you’ll need it). Return the pasta to the pot along with any seasonings you like: 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil, more salt, or some pepper; add a spoonful or 2 of the reserved cooking liquid and any of the possible flavorings from the list that follows and stir. Otherwise toss the pasta with the sauce you’ve prepared or use it in another dish. Serve hot or warm.

— Recipe from How to Cook Everything Fast

Recipe variations

5 Ways to Flavor Plain Pasta or Noodles Stir in any of the following along with the butter or olive oil:

  1. 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, thyme, oregano, or sage
  2. 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or basil
  3. 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  4. Up to 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  5. 1 cup cored and chopped ripe tomatoes