⚡

Pasta Portion Calculator

How much pasta per person? Select pasta type, number of servings, dry or fresh — get exact grams, water, and salt amounts

Pasta:

Results

About This Tool

How much pasta should you cook? Too little and people leave the table hungry. Too much and you're eating leftover spaghetti for three days. The answer depends on the type of pasta, whether it's dry or fresh, and how hungry everyone is. This calculator gives you the exact weight in grams for any number of servings. Select the pasta shape, toggle between dry and fresh, choose the appetite level, and get your total — plus how much water to boil and how much salt to add. No more guessing, no more wasted pasta. The standard Italian portion is about 80–100g of dry pasta per person for a main course, but fresh pasta is heavier (it contains water) and stuffed pasta like ravioli needs more weight per serving. This tool accounts for all of that.

How to Use

1. Select pasta type from the list 2. Choose Dry or Fresh 3. Set the number of people 4. Pick the appetite level (light, normal, or hungry) 5. Read the results: grams per person, total grams, water, and salt

Formula

Total pasta = Grams per person × Number of people Water = 1 liter per 100g of pasta (minimum 2L) Salt = 7g per liter of water (≈ 1.5 tsp per liter)

Frequently Asked Questions

How much pasta per person?
For a main course, plan 80–100g (about 3 oz) of dry pasta per person, or 100–125g of fresh pasta. For a side dish or starter, reduce to 60–70g dry. These amounts apply to most shapes — spaghetti, penne, fusilli, etc. Stuffed pasta like ravioli needs about 150–175g per person because much of the weight is filling.
How much does pasta weigh after cooking?
Dry pasta roughly doubles in weight when cooked. 100g of dry spaghetti becomes about 200–220g cooked. Fresh pasta gains less — about 1.5× its raw weight. This means 85g of dry pasta yields a similar cooked portion to 115g of fresh pasta.
How much water do I need to cook pasta?
The traditional rule is 1 liter of water per 100g of pasta, with a minimum of 2 liters. Generous water prevents pasta from sticking and keeps the temperature from dropping too much when you add the pasta. For 500g of pasta, use at least 5 liters.
How much salt for pasta water?
Add about 7g of salt per liter of water — roughly 1.5 teaspoons. The water should taste noticeably salty (like the sea, as Italian cooks say). For 4 liters of water, that's about 28g or 2 tablespoons of salt. Don't worry — most of the salt stays in the water; the pasta absorbs only about 10%.
What is the difference between dry and fresh pasta?
Dry pasta is made from durum wheat semolina and water, then dried. It's shelf-stable and takes 8–12 minutes to cook. Fresh pasta is made with eggs and flour, has a softer texture, and cooks in 2–4 minutes. Fresh pasta weighs more per serving because it contains water. You need about 125g of fresh pasta to match the cooked volume of 85g dry.
How much pasta for 10 people?
For 10 people as a main course, cook about 850g–1kg of dry pasta (roughly 2 lbs), or 1.1–1.3 kg of fresh pasta. Use 8–10 liters of water and about 60–70g of salt (4–5 tablespoons). Cook in batches if your pot isn't large enough.
Does pasta shape affect portion size?
By weight, no — 85g of spaghetti, penne, or fusilli all provide the same portion. But shapes feel different on the plate. Tube and spiral shapes trap more sauce and can feel more filling. Very small pasta (orzo, stelline) is often used in soups where 40–50g per person is enough. This calculator adjusts for soup pasta and stuffed varieties.

Related Tools

Meat Roasting Calculator

Enter meat type, weight, and doneness — get oven temperature, total roasting time, and resting time. Works for beef, pork, chicken, turkey, and lamb.