system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why do the instructions on pasta call for you to measure out water?

On pasta the bag/box will tell you to put 2 quarts, for example, of water in a pan. I always just put a generous amount of water in the pan to boil. Is there a reason I should be using 2 quarts and measure out the water when cooking pasta? Does anyone actually measure in this case?
gpt
The less water you use the sooner it will boil and the less energy you use maintaining the boil. However too little water and you end up steaming the pasta or even burn the pasta and that is not what you want. So the right amount of water is just so that the pasta starts to appear over the water just as it is done, which is pretty close to the recommended amount.