Cooking pasta is something that virtually all of us know how to do, in theory at least. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be a struggle (seriously, have you ever tried to cook gluten-free pasta to perfection?)
Thankfully, one of the planet’s pasta giants is here to help — with a little help from Spotify.
How long do you cook pasta for?
This is essentially a trick question, since there are so many variables: pasta shape, pasta ingredients, desired doneness, and how hot the water is.
I think most of us just resort to the taste and texture test, but surely there has to be a better way.
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Barilla is here to help.
The world’s biggest pasta company ( believe it ) has been producing pasta since it was founded in Parma way back in 1877. Chances are good that you’ve got a box of Barilla in your cupboard, or have in the past.
It makes sense that they’d know how to cook their pasta.
To get the timing down, Barilla isn’t asking anyone to set a timer or do a taste test. Instead, they’ve created several playlists that are designed to sync perfectly with how long it takes to cook their pasta.
Barilla and Spotify: a match made in heaven.
Lest you think there’s just one all-purpose playlist for all pasta types, Barilla has actually put some serious thought into this initiative. They’ve rolled out eight different playlists to suit every mood and every pasta type.
What’s your vibe?
Playlists range from ‘Mixtape Spaghetti’ to ‘Moody Day Linguine’ to ‘Best Song Penne.’ Right now, Mixtape Spaghetti has by far the most followers. It consists of five songs from several DJs and is highlighted by Hard Knock Life by Jay-Z.
Feeling moody?
This playlist, Moody Day Linguine, is a bit more sedate than the others. It follows a similar format, though: a quick five-song collection, tailored to the proper cooking time for pasta, with one fairly well-known song in the middle.
Popheads can get their fill.
Shawn Mendes highlights the Top Hits Spaghetti playlist. Each playlist description is in Italian, but we’ve taken the liberty of (poorly) translating it for you:
A Pop playlist that lasts the cooking time of your spaghetti. With Playlist Timer, cook pasta to the beat of the music.
All playlists are 9, 10 or 11 minutes long.
While that’s short for a playlist, it makes perfect sense given Barilla’s goal in making said playlists.
If you listened to an hour-long playlist and used it as a guide for cooking pasta, your pasta would be just a tad mushy.
Are you a pleasant melancholy penne or best song penne person?
Best Song Penne kicks off with ‘Treat People With Kindness’ by Harry Styles, while Pleasant Melancholy Penne features ‘For Her’ by Fiona Apple. Tough call, but I’m going for Apple’s ’90s angst here.
I’m totally rocking one of these the next time I make pasta!
Not only is the idea downright delightful, it serves a practical purpose too. If you have a Spotify subscription, discovering new music that’s perfectly tailored to cooking times sounds way more fun than setting a kitchen timer.
