Always use plenty of water when cooking pasta – at least one quart of water for every quarter pound of pasta. Be sure to use a large enough pot to allow the pasta plenty of room to cook properly. The typical procedure for cooking pasta is to bring 6-8 quarts of water to a boil; add salt; add the pasta, and cook according to the package directions. For our Pronto, no boil, no drain pasta, cook entire box of pasta with 3 cups of water in one pan, over high heat. Typical cooking time for Pronto pasta is about 10 minutes, but please refer to instructions on the package for complete cooking time. Draining is not needed.