Pasta & Rice Portion Calculator
Find how much dry pasta or rice to cook per person, and how much it makes once cooked.
About the Pasta & Rice Portion Calculator
Pasta and grains absorb water as they cook: dried pasta roughly doubles to 2.25 times its weight and white rice nearly triples. Typical portions are 75–100 g of dry pasta for a main course (about 2–3.5 oz) and 50 g as a side; for rice, about 75 g dry for a main and 45 g as a side. These are averages; appetite and shape matter.
The formula
Cooked weight ≈ dry weight × absorption factor
Typical yields
| Food | Cooked ÷ dry | Main portion (dry) |
|---|---|---|
| Dried pasta | ×2.25 | 75–100 g |
| White rice | ×2.8 | 70–80 g |
| Brown rice | ×2.6 | 70–80 g |
| Quinoa | ×2.7 | 60–75 g |
| Couscous | ×2.5 | 60–75 g |
Worked example
Example: Dry amount to cook = 450 g (15.9 oz)
- Inputs: Food: Dried pasta; I want to: Cook for a number of people; People: 5; Appetite: Main course.
- Formula: Cooked weight ≈ dry weight × absorption factor
- Result: Dry amount to cook = 450 g (15.9 oz)
Questions people ask
How much spaghetti per person?
About 80–100 g dry for a main.
How much rice for 4?
About 300 g (1½ cups) uncooked for mains.