Energy Efficient Pasta

A few weeks ago I read a great tip on cooking pasta (I can't remember where!). I've used it regularly since on all types of pasta and all sizes of servings. It works perfectly and saves money on energy.

Bring your water to a boil (salted if you prefer). Dump in your pasta and let water come back to a boil (I stir mine to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot). Once the water is boiling again, put on a lid and turn off the heat.

The original tip I read said to let the pasta sit in the water with the lid on for 20 minutes, but I found that way overcooks the pasta. I set the timer for the time indicated on the pasta box and test the pasta after that time. If you are using white pasta, most likely the pasta will be done. I've found that I need an extra 5 minutes for whole wheat pasta.

The bonus is that you are not using any energy to cook the pasta. You simply use the heated water.