The number of pasta lovers around the world is growing every day. Why is that? Maybe it’s the excellent taste, the wide variety of shapes, the endless possibilities to combine it with almost anything, or the fact that it is so quick and easy to prepare.
Before trying any of the many recipes we suggest on this website, keep in mind that, even though cooking pasta may seem simple, there are some basic rules you should follow.
Here are the 7 golden rules for preparing perfect pasta:
- Use plenty of water when cooking pasta (1 liter of water for every 100 g of pasta).
- Bring the water to a boil before adding salt (about 10 g of salt per 1 liter of water). Then add the pasta and continue cooking.
- Stir occasionally to prevent sticking, and continue cooking without a lid.
- Do not overcook. Pasta should be “al dente,” meaning firm to the bite but cooked. The best way is to taste it before draining.
- Drain the pasta, but do not rinse with cold water. Pasta should be warm when mixed with sauce. (If you are making a cold pasta salad, you can rinse it with water or add a little oil to prevent sticking while cooling.)
- Timing is very important. Sauce and pasta should be ready at the same time. In many recipes, like Carbonara, poor timing results in bad pasta. Mix the pasta with the sauce as soon as both are ready. If pasta sits too long, it may stick together.
- Serve immediately, with very few exceptions. As an Italian proverb says, “The guest should wait for the pasta, not the pasta for the guest!”