Cooking Perfect Spaghetti in Your Thermomix

Spaghetti is probably one of the easiest meals to make. But let's be honest, it's also surprisingly easy to get wrong!

Undercook it and you'll end up with pasta that's still hard in the middle. Leave it boiling for too long and you'll have a soft, sticky, tangled mess.

And most of the time, the problem comes down to one thing.

TIMING.

We either underestimate how long the pasta needs to cook or get distracted doing something else in the kitchen. Before we know it, our perfectly good spaghetti has turned into something rather disappointing. 😂

This is one of the reasons I love cooking pasta in my Thermomix.

Instead of standing over a pot and constantly checking whether the spaghetti is ready, I can set the cooking time, temperature and speed, and let the machine take care of the heating and gentle stirring.

Of course, you still need to choose the right cooking time. Thermomix doesn't automatically know when your pasta is perfectly cooked, but having a timer and controlled temperature makes the whole process much easier.

And that's why I rarely reach for a saucepan when cooking spaghetti anymore!

Cooking Spaghetti in the TM6

Here's the method I usually use for dried spaghetti.

Ingredients

• 250–400g dried spaghetti

• Approximately 1,200g water

• Salt, to taste

• Olive oil, optional

Method

1. Add 1,200g water to the mixing bowl, making sure you stay within the bowl's maximum fill level.

2. Heat the water to 100°C until it reaches a boil.

3. Add salt to taste.

4. Insert the spaghetti gradually through the opening in the mixing bowl lid, allowing the strands to soften and slide down naturally. Don't force them in.

5. Cook at 100°C / Reverse / Speed 1, using the cooking time on the pasta packaging as your starting point.

6. Check the spaghetti towards the end of cooking. Add another minute or two if needed.

7. Carefully drain the pasta using a suitable colander or the Varoma dish, taking care with the hot water and steam.

I personally prefer using Reverse because it helps keep the spaghetti moving gently without unnecessarily cutting the strands.

And there you have it. Beautifully cooked spaghetti, without having to stand over the stove!

What About the TM7?

Good news! You can cook spaghetti in your TM7 too.

The TM7 has a few differences worth understanding.

One of its features is Open Cooking mode, which allows certain foods to be cooked without the mixing bowl lid at temperatures up to 100°C.

This gives you another option for cooking pasta, particularly when you prefer to add and check your spaghetti more easily.

For the TM7, you can use a suitable guided pasta recipe on Cookidoo or a compatible manual cooking method.

If you're using Open Cooking mode, remember that it doesn't stir the food automatically. You'll need to stir the spaghetti yourself occasionally to prevent it from sticking.

If you're using a manual cooking method with the mixing bowl lid in place, follow the TM7's instructions for the correct settings and lid operation. Don't assume that every TM6 method transfers directly to the TM7.

The nice thing is that both machines can help you manage the cooking temperature and timing, making pasta preparation much more convenient.

A Few Tips for Better Spaghetti

1. Aim for al dente.

Properly cooked spaghetti should be tender but still have a little firmness when you bite into it. It shouldn't be crunchy, but it shouldn't be mushy either.

2. Check the cooking time on the packet.

Different pasta brands, shapes and thicknesses require different cooking times. Thin spaghetti will cook faster than thicker varieties.

3. Remember to allow time for the water to heat up.

If your recipe says 10 minutes, that usually refers to the time the pasta needs in boiling water, not necessarily the total time from adding cold water to your Thermomix.

4. Don't overcrowd the mixing bowl.

I usually cook around 250–400g of dried spaghetti at a time. Larger quantities need sufficient water and room to move, so always check the capacity and instructions for your specific recipe.

5. Save some pasta water!

Before draining, keep a small cup of the starchy cooking water. Add a little to your pasta sauce to help it coat the spaghetti beautifully.

6. Don't automatically add olive oil to the cooking water.

You don't actually need oil to cook spaghetti. Enough water, gentle stirring and the right cooking time are more important.

If you're serving the pasta immediately with a sauce, toss it straight into the sauce after draining.

A little olive oil can help if you're keeping plain cooked spaghetti aside, although it may make it harder for some sauces to cling to the pasta.

So, Is Cooking Spaghetti in a Thermomix Worth It?

For me, absolutely.

Not because cooking spaghetti on the stove is particularly difficult, but because it's one less thing I need to keep an eye on when I'm preparing dinner.

And when you're juggling several things in the kitchen, sometimes that little bit of convenience makes all the difference.

Whether you're using the TM6 or TM7, learning how to cook everyday staples like spaghetti is a great way to get more out of your Thermomix.

Happy cooking!

Mai

Thy Cook