How to Measure Dry Pasta

PDF download Download Article
PDF download Download Article

When cooking pasta, you must measure the dry pasta to ensure you don't cook too little or too much for your sauce. Pasta generally doubles in size and weight when cooked. [1] It is also measured differently depending upon whether it is macaroni pasta or egg noodles. Some recipes merely specify the number of servings of pasta you should cook which means you have to figure out the measurements yourself. Measuring pasta servings depends upon serving size and pasta shape. This article will teach you how to measure dry pasta.

1

Measuring Spaghetti and Other Long Pastas

PDF download Download Article
  1. Watermark wikiHow to Measure Dry Pasta
    Place a bunch of spaghetti between your thumb and forefinger. 1 serving of pasta, or 2 oz. (57 g), will be equivalent to a bunch of pasta between your fingers with a diameter of 7/8 inch (24.26 mm). [2] This is the diameter of a United States quarter.
    • Two servings = 1.75 inches (4.44 cm); four servings = 3.5 inches (12.7 cm); six servings = 5.25 inches; eight servings = 7 inches.
    • Spaghetti , linguine, and other long pastas can be measured using a pasta measure. A pasta measure is a tool that is available at kitchen supply stores, in pasta-making kits, and online. [3] You place the long pasta in various loops to measure a serving of the pasta.
    • Some pasta spoons have a hole in the middle; this will measure one serving of long pasta.
    2. Advertisement
2

Measuring Elbow Macaroni

PDF download Download Article
  1. Watermark wikiHow to Measure Dry Pasta
    If using a food scale, place the pasta in the cup attached to the scale and measure 57 g. If using measuring cups, a single 2 oz. (57 g) serving is 1/2 cup of dried pasta.
    • Two servings = 1 cup; four servings = 2 cups; six servings = 3 cups; eight servings = 4 cups.
3

Measuring Penne Pasta

PDF download Download Article
  1. Watermark wikiHow to Measure Dry Pasta
    If you are using measuring cups, a single 2 oz. (57 g) serving is 3/4 cup of dried pasta.
    • Two servings = 1 1/2 cups; four servings = 3 cups; six servings = 4 1/2 cups; eight servings = 6 cups.
    2. Advertisement
4

Measuring Ribbed Lasagna

PDF download Download Article
  1. A 2 oz. (57 g) serving of lasagna is approximately 2 pieces of dry lasagna sheets.
    • It is typically best to use about four layers of noodles when making a lasagna . The typical baking dish used to make lasagna is either 8x8 inches or 10x8 inches [4] . With four layers of lasagna noodles, an 8x8 pan of lasagna will typically feed four people, while a 10x8 pan will usually serve six.
5

Measuring Egg Noodles

PDF download Download Article
  1. Watermark wikiHow to Measure Dry Pasta
    When measuring egg noodles using measuring cups, 2 oz. (56 g) of egg noodles is approximately 1 1/4 cup of egg noodles and also 1 1/4 cup of cooked noodles.
    • Unlike macaroni pastas, egg noodles measured in measuring cups are typically the same both dry and cooked.
    • Typically, for extra wide egg noodles, a 2 oz. serving equals 1 1/4 cups of dry egg noodles, which will yield approximately 1 1/2 cups of cooked noodles.
    2. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    If I have a 16 oz pkg of orecchiette, but only need 10 oz, how do I measure the 10 oz?
    Community Answer
    The best choice would be to use a kitchen scale. Otherwise, you can divide it into four groups as equally as possible and use two and a half of the groups.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 14 Helpful 32
  • Question
    How do you measure with a spaghetti tool?
    Community Answer
    A pasta measure (or spaghetti tool) has various holes which indicate various serving sizes. Usually, there is one labeled as a single serving. To measure, simply fill the hole with a bunch of the pasta until full. These tools are quite straight-forward to use.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 15 Helpful 33
  • Question
    How much dry elbows do I need for 2 cups of cooked?
    Community Answer
    As dry pasta generally doubles in size when cooked, 1 cup of dry elbows should be perfect.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 10 Helpful 35
See more answers
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Video

      Tips

      • A single serving of pasta is generally regarded as 2 oz. (57 g) of cooked pasta for a first course or side dish. A serving can be raised 3 to 4 oz. (85 to 113 g) if it is the only course. Occasionally a serving is approximated as 1/2 cup (114 g) of pasta; however, this depends upon the shape of the pasta. [5]
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      • Know what constitutes an egg noodle. Most pasta contains egg, but to be considered an egg noodle, it must contain at least 5.5 percent egg solids. [6]
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      • Read the recipe to decide how many servings of pasta are required. You can either read directly from the recipe or pasta sauce bottle, or if you are making pasta sauce from scratch, figure out how many people you will feed with your sauce.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Show More Tips
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      Things You'll Need

      • Dry pasta or egg noodles
      • Measuring cups
      • Food scale (optional)
      • Pasta measuring tool (optional)

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Microwave Pasta
      How to
      Cook Pasta
      How to
      Make Maggi
      How to
      Boil Lasagna Noodles
      How to
      Eat Noodles with Chopsticks
      How to
      Keep Pasta Warm
      How to
      Make Yippee Noodles
      How to
      Cook Noodles
      How to
      Use a Pasta Machine
      Make Easy & Delicious Pasta from Scratch—With or Without the Use of a Pasta Maker
      How to
      Thicken a Casserole
      How to
      Cook Ravioli
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ Abyssinia Campbell. Executive Chef. Expert Interview. 31 August 2021.
      2. ↑ https://healthyeating.nhlbi.nih.gov/recipedetail.aspx?linkId=1&cId=5&rId=137
      3. ↑ https://sharethepasta.org/cooking-pasta/tips/cooking-techniques/
      4. ↑ https://www.myplate.gov/recipes/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap/skillet-lasagna
      5. ↑ https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/wecan/eat-right/buttons-bows-pasta.htm
      6. ↑ https://sharethepasta.org/cooking-pasta/tips/cooking-techniques/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To measure dry pasta, start by reading your recipe to determine how many servings you need. If you're using spaghetti, fettuccini, spaghettini, capellini, fedelini, or vermicelli noodles, you can estimate by using your thumb and forefinger, or you can use a pasta measure, which is a special tool for this purpose. Use measuring cups or a food scale for elbow macaroni and penne pasta, and use a food scale or count the individual pieces for ribbed lasagna. To learn more about measuring egg noodles, read on!

      Did this summary help you?
      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 2,350,302 times.

      Reader Success Stories

      • Anonymous

        Sep 6, 2016

        "The differences in measuring egg noodles vs pasta were very helpful."
      More reader stories Hide reader stories
      Share your story

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement