Bring 5-6 quarts water of water to a rolling boil. Stir to ensure that all pasta is in the water and that the pieces are separated. A minute or two before your pasta is supposed to be ready, remove a piece of pasta from the water and bite through the pasta to see if it's done. Keep tasting until the pasta is al dente. When it's ready, drain the pasta in a colander and serve immediately with your favorite sauce.
Many people assume dried pasta is just fresh pasta that's been set out to dry.
Although it certainly seems reasonable to think so, it's not the case. Fresh pasta, which is traditionally made in Northern and Central Italy, is almost always made with eggs. Eggs are highly perishable, so fresh pasta must be eaten within a few days of its preparation. Dried pasta, a Southern Italian trademark, almost never contains eggs. Because it's usually just semolina flour, water and salt, dried pasta can last almost indefinitely without refrigeration.