There is nothing worse than having to leave the table during interesting dinner party conversation because, as the "hostess with the mostest", you have to watch for cooking times and plating and presentation. Sometimes I serve pasta but the timing, and possibility of my al dente delight becoming inedible mush because I got caught up tableside, always made this a slightly stressful endeavor. Tadah! Here is a kitchen tip that is so obvious that you will wonder why it is not a widely known one and why you have not been using it for years.
The morning of your dinner party, put whatever dry pasta you are going to be using in a bowl and cover it with a liberal amount of cold water, about an inch above the pasta. When you start eating your appetizer, put a pot of salted water on the hob to boil. When you clear your appetizer dishes, drain the raw pasta and throw it in the now boiling water. It will take 1 minute for your rehydrated dry pasta to cook to al dente - no matter what the actual cooking time indicated on the box is. I have used this for pasta like penne and farfalle; I see no reason why it wouldn't work with spaghetti as well.
This tip is also helpful if you know that you will be working late. Those 10 minutes that you can shave off the time that it takes you between walking in the door and getting dinner on the table can make all the difference between a cranky child and a happy to see you one!
Stock photo of pasta