How much dry pasta per person depends on the shape and whether it is a side or a main. These are standard portions to cook the right amount without leftovers (unless you want them).
| Pasta | Per person (dry) |
|---|---|
| Long pasta (spaghetti) | 2 oz / 56 g |
| Short pasta (penne, fusilli) | 2 oz / 56 g (about 1/2 cup) |
| Egg noodles | 2 oz / 56 g (about 1 cup) |
| Fresh pasta | 3 to 4 oz / 85 to 115 g |
| Filled pasta (ravioli) | 4 to 6 oz |
The spaghetti trick: a 2 oz bundle of dry spaghetti is about the diameter of a US quarter. A 1 lb box serves roughly 4 mains or 8 sides.
FAQ
Why do pasta portions look so different dry versus cooked? Pasta roughly doubles in weight as it absorbs water during cooking, so a dry portion looks small compared to the cooked amount, which is why portion charts are usually based on dry weight to give a consistent, repeatable serving size.
Scale a recipe with the Recipe Scaler in the cooking calculators.