How to Measure Out a Serving Size of Pasta Before Cooking

Measuring your pasta before you cook it helps prevent overeating and contributes to portion control. Portion control and eating the appropriate amounts of a food can have a large effect on your weight. While many pasta boxes label a serving size as 2 oz. of dry pasta, or one cup of cooked pasta, the Department of Agriculture recommends preparing 1 oz. of uncooked pasta, or a half cup cooked pasta to meet your size requirement for grains.

Scale

Step 1

Use a digital or spring scale to measure your pasta. Add dry pasta to the scale incrementally.

Step 2

Stop adding pasta when the scale reads 1 oz. or 30 g if you want to adhere to the USDA's serving size recommendation.

Step 3

Add dry pasta until the scale measures 2 oz. or 60 g if you choose to follow the box's serving size suggestion.

Measuring Cups

Step 1

Use 1/8 cup to ration out a 1-oz. serving size of pasta.

Step 2

Use 1/4 cup to ration out a 2-oz. serving size of pasta.

Step 3

Cook for more than one and multiply your serving sizes by 1/8 or 1/4 cups.

Hands

Step 1

Measure long strand pasta with your hands. Form a 1-1/2 inch diameter with the long strand pasta. This equals 8 oz. of dry pasta.

Step 2

Divide the pasta into eight equal sections to adhere to USDA serving size recommendation. Use one section per serving size. Store extra pasta for future use.

Step 3

Divide the pasta into four equal sections if you want to adhere to the 2 oz. serving size recommendation. Use one section per serving size. Store extra pasta for future use.

Things You'll Need

• Digital scale or spring scale

• Measuring cup

Tip

Pasta cooking times vary among types. Check the cooking instruction to ensure you cook your pasta properly.

Weigh, bag and store individual pasta serving sizes to save future time and energy.