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When it comes to knowing how long to cook homemade pasta or fresh pasta, the answer is: it depends.
It depends on the type of pasta you’re boiling (ravioli vs tagliatelle, for example), but one thing that is certain is that it takes a lot less time to cook fresh pasta than dried pasta!
Dried pasta has almost no moisture content, whereas fresh pasta doesn’t need to be brought back from a completely dry and brittle state, but rather just cooked for a few minutes until the egg and moisture filled dough turns from the dough into a pasta texture.
Maybe you made your own fresh pasta at home (it’s easier than you think), or maybe you bought fresh pasta from the store.
No matter where it came from, here’s how long fresh pasta takes to cook (and when we say cook, we mean in the traditional way on the oven with some boiling water!)
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How Long to Boil Fresh Pasta
If you can’t find the right type of fresh pasta below or you just want a more general answer, then here you go.
It takes 3-5 minutes to boil fresh pasta.
Some, like ravioli and tortellini will be on the shorter end, while spaghetti and linguine will be on the longer end.
Boil fresh pasta the same way you would boil dried pasta, with lots of salt in the boiling water.
Just do it for less time!
And don’t forget to follow our guidelines on how to stop fresh pasta from sticking together.
How Long to Cook Fresh Ravioli
Fresh ravioli is one of the most decadent and delicious dishes on the planet (we think).
Ravioli, a classic pasta usually shaped like a circle or square and filled with cheeses, spinach, meats, and more, is a super versatile dish.
When it comes to cooking times for fresh ravioli, you only need to cook it for 3 to 4 minutes until it will be perfectly ready for you to eat.
How Long to Cook Fresh Tortellini
Tortellini is another go-to filled pasta, similar to ravioli in that it can have cheese, vegetables, and meat inside, but it’s shaped a bit differently.
Instead of a ravioli which tends to be flatter, a tortellini is smaller, but puffier.
How do you know it’s done?
It’s actually really easy, as it will float to the surface!
And how long does it take to cook fresh tortellini?
The answer is about 2-3 minutes.
It’s quick, it’s easy, and you’ll have fresh pasta on your plate in no time.
How Long to Cook Fresh Tagliatelle
Tagliatelle, which is one of the most fun pasta types to say, is wonderful fresh and can be found in plenty of dishes that focus on creamy sauces.
This is a larger surface area of pasta than some of the other ones coming up, but it still doesn’t take long to cook.
Fresh tagliatelle takes anywhere between 4-5 minutes to cook until al dente.
How Long to Cook Fresh Linguine
Ah, linguine! Similar to spaghetti, but flat rather than round.
Much thinner than tagliatelle, and often used in pasta dishes with red sauces, seafood, and other mix-ins.
Linguine takes between 3-5 minutes to cook from fresh.
You’ll know when it’s done because fresh pasta floats to the top of the water, unlike dried pasta which will stay under the water even if it does start to float a bit.
How Long to Cook Fresh Lasagna
You can make fresh lasagna with fresh lasagna sheets, which is a winning combination.
And what’s even better is you don’t need to pre-cook the lasagna.
So you simply put the uncooked, fresh lasagna in the lasagna dish with the other lasagna ingredients, and put it in the oven.
Typically a lasagna takes 45 or more minutes to bake, but you don’t need any extra steps and you do not need to precook or boil fresh lasagna noodles.
How Long to Cook Fresh Spaghetti
Spaghetti is a classic fresh pasta that many of us know and love.
With thin, long strands and smooth, circular edges, we love to slurp it, toss it, eat it with sauce, and incorporate it into fun things like spaghetti casserole!
If you want to know how long to boil homemade spaghetti, the answer is 3-5 minutes.
It takes longer than the ravioli and tortellini, but is still done before you really even have time to look away.
It’ll rise to the top when it’s ready to eat, and you have to make sure to drain it right away to stop the cooking process so it doesn’t end up mushy.
