The Home Cook's Guide to Perfect Pasta

The secret is in the basics

You do not need a complicated recipe to cook brilliant pasta. The difference between flat and fantastic usually comes down to a handful of habits that take no extra time once you know them.

Salt the water like the sea

Pasta water should taste properly salty, around a tablespoon of salt per litre. This is your one chance to season the pasta itself from the inside, and it makes everything that follows taste better. Use a big pot with plenty of water so the pasta moves freely and cooks evenly.

Cook to al dente, not soft

Al dente means tender with a slight bite in the centre. Start tasting a minute or two before the packet time, because the pasta keeps cooking in the hot sauce afterwards. Drain it just shy of done and let the sauce finish the job.

Never pour all the water away

This is the trick that changes everything: save a mugful of the starchy cooking water before you drain. Splashed into the sauce, it emulsifies the fat and helps everything cling to the pasta in a glossy coat rather than sliding off. It is the difference between a silky Spaghetti alla Carbonara and a dry one.

Finish the pasta in the sauce

Do not just spoon sauce on top. Drain the pasta, add it to the pan of sauce with a splash of that pasta water, and toss over the heat for a minute. The pasta absorbs flavour and the sauce thickens around it, as in a classic Fettuccine Alfredo.

Match the shape to the sauce

• Long, thin (spaghetti, linguine) suits light oil- or seafood-based sauces, like Chilli prawn linguine.
• Tubes and twists (penne, fusilli) catch chunky, hearty sauces.
• Wide ribbons (tagliatelle, pappardelle) love rich, meaty ragus.
• Sheets are for baked dishes like a proper lasagne.

Quick answers

Should I add oil to the water? No, it just coats the pasta and stops sauce sticking. Stir in the first minute instead to prevent clumping.

Do I rinse cooked pasta? Not for hot dishes, you would wash away the starch that helps sauce cling. Only rinse for cold pasta salads.

Fresh or dried? Neither is better. Dried suits firm, everyday dishes; fresh suits delicate, silky sauces. A great pantry dried pasta makes a wonderful quick dinner.

Ready to cook? Browse all our pasta recipes for more.