Do you have to dry pasta before cooking

Making homemade pasta may seem like a big undertaking, but it's as simple as following a few steps. Make the dough, roll the pasta, then cut and dry your individual noodles.

How to dry pasta in nests

It's the latter step that comes with a timeline — albeit one that depends on when exactly you're cooking your dish.

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For homemade pasta made with an immediate meal in mind, leave it on the drying rack for about 10 to 15 minutes.

This timeframe will make your noodles easier to cook, as they won't stick together and will keep their shape. If you're making fresh pasta for another day, however, you can let it dry for much longer.

Leave your noodles to sit out overnight or all day, with 12 to 24 hours being the ideal.

This relatively wide timeframe will give your pasta the chance it needs to harden. If the spaghetti still feels soft, it's not fully dried, whereas if it's hard enough to snap in half, it's ready to store or eat.