* I never use a timer when cooking pasta. You should be able to feel the doneness of the pasta while you are stirring. When the pasta is just starting to cook, you should feel a good amount of resistance when you stir the pot. When the pasta is nearing completion, you should feel much less resistance when you stir the pot. To be completely certain the pasta is done, scoop out a string of spaghetti and do a taste test once the pasta has cooled a bit. The spaghetti should be soft on the outside but still have some bite (resistance) in the center. This is known as al dente.