How Long to Cook Noodles and Pasta
The cooking time for pasta varies depending on the size and thickness of the noodles.
- Small pasta shapes (ex.: fusilli, macaroni, and penne) take 5 to 7 minutes to cook
- Larger pasta shapes (ex.: spaghetti, fettuccini, and lasagna) take 10 to 12 minutes to cook
- Ravioli and tortellini take about 3 to 5 minutes to cook
- Fresh pasta needs between 1 and 3 minutes to cook at most
For fresh pasta, ravioli, and tortellini, you'll be able to tell when your noodles are fully cooked when they float to the top of the water. For all other pasta shapes, you'll need to taste-test them to make sure they are cooked to perfection. To get the best taste, they should be cooked al dente meaning it's tender, but has a firm bite that gives it some structure.