How to Measure Pasta: 3 Methods for Measuring Pasta

Cooking pasta changes its size, density, and to some degree its shape, so it is essential to measure your pasta depending on how much you want to serve. A USDA single serving size is a half cup of cooked pasta, but most dishes and restaurant servings are double this size. If you aim for approximately a cup of pasta per person, you can work backward to determine the portion size and how much pasta to cook.

Choose one of the following measurement methods, depending on the size and shape of the uncooked pasta:

1. 1. Weigh the pasta. The best way to measure with confidence for many recipes is by weight. Investment in a good kitchen scale will pay off many times over.
2. 2. Measure pasta by hand. Grasp a bunch of long pasta between your thumb and forefinger—this is roughly a single serving. (Of course, this will vary based upon the size of your hand.) A helpful reference for measuring long pasta by hand is to look at the diameter of a US quarter, closely matching the diameter of a single serving of long pasta.
3. 3. Use a pasta measurer. Measuring tools can be helpful in the kitchen. A pasta measurer is a flat metal strip with differently-sized holes, each of which will have a marked amount, such as one, two, three, or four servings for long pasta. Alternatively, some pasta spoons have a hole that is usually sized for a single serving of dried long pasta.

Determining a single serving size of pasta by shape is challenging, simply because there are so many different varieties. Below are some approximate groupings of various sizes:

• Short pasta: Short pasta is a category of pasta that includes penne, rigatoni, farfalle, and ziti. Use a food scale to measure short pasta accurately. Two ounces of these shapes is two thirds to three quarters of a measuring cup of dried pasta, and when cooked, it will yield one to one-and-a-quarter cups of pasta. Specialty-shaped short pasta, like rotini and elbow macaroni, differs: a single serving is about a half-cup dry, which yields a whole cup of pasta when cooked.
• Long pasta: Long pasta includes linguine, fettuccine, spaghetti, vermicelli, capellini, and angel hair, which you can measure by hand. You can measure spaghetti, for example, by grasping a bunch between your forefinger and thumb. You can also measure long pasta by placing it in a bowl on a kitchen scale.

Some pasta types will change in volume during the cooking process. Consider the following to determine the right amount of pasta:

1. 1. Fresh: Fresh pasta has a great texture, whether bought from the local Italian market or made at home. Fresh pasta retains the moisture of ingredients, and it will expand less in the cooking process. A good starting place for dishes with fresh pasta is three to four ounces of fresh pasta (eighty-five to one hundred fourteen grams) per serving of pasta.
2. 2. Dried: Dried pasta is the more commonly found variety, with several shapes often available in grocery stores. Two ounces of dry pasta, or about sixty grams, is a good rule of thumb for a single serving.
3. 3. Filled: For varieties such as tortellini, ravioli, or cappelletti, which come with a filling of cheese, vegetables, or meat, the measurement is about five ounces or one hundred forty-two grams.

You can always reheat leftover pasta, but having too little pasta for a meal can be a real disappointment for you and your guests. If you’re unsure about the measurement, it can help to err on the side of more pasta, knowing that you can have leftovers.

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