Pasta cooking - when should I start timing it?

Hi Matt - a quick question for you. When I'm pasta cooking, if I'm using packet pasta, when do I start timing it (as per the packet's recommendation)?

When I drop the pasta in or when it gets boiling again?

Andrea.

Response: Hi Andrea... I've been taught to use the latter approach.

So you have your boiling, well-salted water, you drop in your pasta (and stir to avoid sticking if it's long), then when back boiling that's when I start my timer.

This approach has never failed me. The only time I would cook for less than the packet's time is if I'm making a baked pasta dish. In that case I cook the pasta for 2 mins less than the packet requires... i.e. for 'al dente' pasta, before building my baked dish and banging it in the oven.

Hope that's clear!

Matt.