As easy as boiling water

Cooking pasta should be easy. Often, it’s not. Cook times to achieve the desired al dente are so dependent on the type of heat and the vessel—even the altitude. I’ve been guilty of serving up that gummy stuff Harold McGee talks about in this piece:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/dining/25curi.html?_r=2&th&emc=th

There’s only one sure-fire way to tell whether pasta is done: Bite it.