1. Boil 4 to 6 quarts of water for every pound of dry pasta. Add a just a little oil, butter, or margarine (A teaspoon is more than enough. This helps prevent cheaper pasta from clumping. Better pasta doesn't really need this.), along with just a bit of salt. If you are making less pasta, use less water. But remember that you need a lot of water to cook pasta properly. You also need a big pot, big enough to only fill it 3/4th the way up and still have enough water.

2. Add the pasta while stirring, keeping the burner on high. You want the water to come to a boil again.

3. Stir the pasta occasionally during cooking.

4. Follow the package directions for cooking times. If the pasta is to be used as part of a dish that requires further cooking (lasagne, for example), undercook the pasta by 1/3 of the cooking time specified on the package.

5. Taste the pasta to determine if it is done. Perfectly cooked pasta should be al dente ("to the tooth") or firm to the bite, yet cooked through. There should be a tiny white dot in the center of the pasta you've bitten through. If the dot it too big, the pasta isn't done.

6. Drain pasta immediately. (Having a colander in the sink helps. So does having good pot holders.) If you are using shells or any type of tube pasta, shake the colander well to get excess water out. It is not necessary to rinse the pasta, but if you must, use hot water unless you are making pasta for a cold dish.

7. Follow the rest of the recipe.
~~~~~~~~
A couple of hints -

Have your sauce hot.

Serve your pasta on a hot or at least very warm plate.