Instructions: Place 2 quarts hottest possible tap water in a very large bowl and microwave on High, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Very carefully remove bowl from the oven or simply slide forward and add 1 pound pasta to the nearly boiling water. Return to center of the oven and microwave for 2 minutes if fresh, 10 to 11 minutes if dried. Drain and serve.

NOTES : The best pastas for microwaving are the medium-sized individual shapes, such as penne, ziti, rigatoni, rotelli, fusilli, bow ties, seashells, gnocchi, mostaccioli, radiatore, etc. Very small dried pastas like orzo and alphabets become very soft and gummy, as do long, thin pastas such as spaghetti and linguini. Most dried pasta cooks in 10-11 minutes. Take note of your results and use them for future reference and variation.

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