Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2018/08/27/why-dry-spaghetti-shatters-whe.html
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If you’re breaking a bundle of dried pasta in half before you cook it, you’re doing it wrong 
IMO YMMV
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I’m a bit surprised that they aren’t selling bags/boxes of spaghetti that are already 1/2 the normal length. Or have I just not seen them?
That said, when I do it wrong, I try to minimize the chaos by breaking them downward into the pot of water so the shrapnel ends up in the water.
Also, I wish I had the time and money to study how spaghetti breaks, much less create a machine to snap spaghetti one strand at a time.
I’m a victim of questionable career choices, dang it! My high school guidance councilor was useless! Useless!
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How long is the Spaghetti that you buy? Where I live, the average length of each strand has already halved over time. Back up until the 1990s, it was common to get short and long varieties, with the long size being about 60cm long, and the short half that. Nowadays, you can only get the short version in most shops- only specialist retailers will carry the long variety and it costs a small fortune compared to the more common pasta.
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I don’t have it handy, but I feel like it’s somewhere around 14-inches. The only reason I break it it to get it all under water level at the same time so it softens evenly. Should I be doing that? I’m guessing by @davide405 's response, “No!”
All that said, I’m not supposed to be even looking at pasta anymore, much less eating it…
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Yeah, that’s the short kind.
I don’t worry too much about that- If you are putting it into boiling water, then I find it softens enough to bend into the pot quite quickly, I’m sure someone else could find fault with my method too, so I’m not that bothered.
Boo, that sucks.
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I’ve got no time to glue spaghetti strands together before I boil it 
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Who… who does this? Who would even consider doing this?
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You know… people…
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You may want to pour yourself a drink before the thread turns to… rinsing pasta.
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What?! You don’t rinse it? (kidding, kidding.)
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I just saw it for the first time a few weeks ago. It’s a thing!
For the record, I break mine, because my small pot is easier to wash than my big pot
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This… or if I am making it just for me and the big pot is overkill in size.
ETA: though if am making it just for me I will use mini penne or elbows most of the time.
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Yep, I sure am.
Don’t ask what kinds of cheeses, plural, I use on my spaghet; you will only regret it.
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Heathens!
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Pasta quattro formaggi is legit.
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Several manufacturers do - it’s called ‘Pot Ready’ spaghetti, or some variation on that. Edit: Also enjoy the terrible photoshop - apparently Pot Ready spaghetti will perfectly fit itself to the curve of your pot. This is high tech stuff.
Also, while I love the physics and math in this, the simplest solution, which my Mom used, was to just break it in the bag. Those Old Wives had some real tricks.
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