Kitchen skills
Better Pasta Through Sauce Technique
Choose a pot with enough space for the pasta to move. Stir near the beginning so the pieces do not stick together.
What you need
- Pasta
- Salted water
- Sauce
- Reserved cooking water
Put it into practice
Move the pasta into the sauce just before it reaches your preferred tenderness. Toss over gentle heat with a little cooking water.
The detail that makes a difference
Starchy water helps sauce cling. Oily sauce may need more vigorous tossing; a thick sauce may simply need a small amount of water.
Make it work in your kitchen
Start with a small batch and taste as you go. Keep a note of the ingredients and proportions you prefer so you can repeat the result. For substitutions, consider texture and cooking time as well as flavor; a softer ingredient often needs less time than a firm one.
These are practical cooking guides, not laboratory-tested recipes. Cooking times vary with ingredients, equipment and portion size. Follow package instructions where applicable.