Step 1 / 4
boil
very salted water, 1-2 minutes PAST the package — the cold rule
the counterintuitive instruction that separates picnic-good from chewy: pasta destined for the refrigerator cooks a step softer than pasta for the plate, because chilling firms starch — al dente today is undercooked tomorrow; drained and spread on a sheet to cool WITHOUT rinsing away the starch the dressing needs