Tips from professional Chef Tallyrand:

Food tip on cooking pasta

A common mistake when cooking pasta is that it is cooked and then refreshed under running water, this bad habit washes away the starch that clings to the pasta as it cooks, it is this starch that helps the sauce cling to the pasta and stops it from sinking and running all over your plate. As fresh pasta only takes 5 - 8 minutes to cook there is no reason to ever need to cook it ahead of time. The correct way to cook pasta is as follows:

1. Firstly, never add oil to the cooking water, it is a waste of oil and unnecessary if the following points are observed
2. Use a large a pot as possible with plenty of boiling water; this water should be rapidly boiling and slightly salted. This is important step #1 to stop the pasta from sticking together; with plenty of water used, once the pasta is put into it, it will come back to the boil very quickly.
3. Add the pasta (small quantities), how much will eventually come from experience, but a guideline is that the water should come back to a rapid boil within two minutes
4. On adding the pasta , gently stir the pasta until the water comes back to that rapid boil; (important step #2) to stop the pasta from sticking together
5. To test if the pasta is cooked, remove a piece and gently squeeze it, when the pasta is cooked it will break easily (the actual cooking time will depend on the pasta's thickness, so test after 4 minutes and every minute there after)
6. Remove from the water and allow to drain in a colander or similar and toss in the sauce
7. If more pasta is immediately required to be cooked, either remove the pasta with tongs or similar, or place a colander/strainer over another pot, pour, and re-use the water

With these simple rules followed never again should you have problem with pasta cooking . . . buon appetito!

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Published 22 January 2001