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Unless You Want A Huge Mess When Boiling Pasta, Keep The Lid Off The Pot By David Stringer Nov. 8, 2025 11:00 am EST

Your pot of salted water finally hits a rolling boil, and you're ready to cook your noodles to a perfect al dente. You toss in the noodles, throw away the box, and turn around to see the lid rattling and water spilling over. A starchy mess of piping hot water is the last thing you want to deal with while trying to get dinner ready, but that's what happens if you leave the lid on the pot while the water's boiling.

That lid is essential to get your water boiling faster to trap in the heat, but after that, you'll want to leave it to the side. Once you drop any starchy food in boiling water, you have to keep an eye out for the bubbles. The pasta releas

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