Do you love pasta? Most people would probably say yes. There are many reasons why pasta is one of the most widely consumed foods in the world. It is easy to prepare, can be combined with both savory and sweet additions, and is simply delicious.
If you want to cook the perfect pasta, avoid these 11 common mistakes…
1. Not using a large enough pot
A larger pot allows you to cook pasta in a sufficient amount of water, giving it enough space to move freely and preventing it from sticking together.
2. Not salting the water
You don’t necessarily need to salt the water before it boils, but you should salt it once the pasta is added. Otherwise, the pasta will taste bland. Don’t hold back on the salt—while the exact amount depends on preference, remember that only a small fraction of the salt you add to the water will actually be absorbed by the pasta.
3. Not stirring the pasta from the moment it touches the water
The first few moments of cooking are crucial to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Make sure to submerge it in water as soon as possible and start stirring immediately.
4. Not stirring it regularly during cooking
It may seem tedious, but it’s better to stir than to end up with a big clump of sticky pasta.
5. Draining all the pasta water
If you’re making a sauce, save some of the starchy pasta water to help create a smoother texture and prevent the sauce from being too watery. Simply keep a cup or two of pasta water before draining—it’s better to have too much than too little.
6. Not checking if the pasta is done early enough
When you add pasta to the boiling water, set a timer for two minutes before the recommended cooking time listed on the package. This is a great time to start checking the texture and, more importantly, tasting the pasta to ensure it’s cooked just right.
7. Not draining the pasta immediately after cooking
Pasta should be al dente, meaning it should have a slight bite when you chew it, not be too soft. Draining it right after cooking prevents overcooking when you add it to the sauce.
8. Rinsing the pasta
Unless you’re making a cold pasta salad, you should never rinse pasta after draining. Doing so removes all the starch that helps sauces stick to it.
9. Letting pasta sit in the colander
Pasta should be added to the sauce immediately after draining. The longer it sits, the more it sticks together.
10. Not matching the right pasta shape with the right sauce
Pairing pasta with sauces is largely a matter of preference, but following these general guidelines will ensure your sauce and pasta complement each other:
- Light, textured sauces (like pesto) work best with rotini or fusilli since the sauce clings to the grooves.
- Thin, long pasta (like spaghetti, linguine, and capellini) pairs well with light oil-based or creamy sauces (such as carbonara or olive oil with Parmesan and garlic).
- Twisted pasta (like fusilli and gemelli) goes well with textured sauces (such as pesto).
- Tubular pasta (like rigatoni, macaroni, and penne) works well with thick, meaty sauces (like ragù or rich cheese-based sauces).
- Shell-shaped pasta (like conchiglie) pairs best with chunky, textured sauces and can also be stuffed.
11. Cooking everything together in a one-pot meal
If you’re in a hurry or trying to minimize dishwashing, cooking pasta and sauce in the same pot isn’t a bad idea. However, this doesn’t mean everything should be cooked at the same time. Prepare ingredients in stages to prevent overcooking. For example, if your dish includes meat, brown it first in a little olive oil with salt and pepper. Once it caramelizes, remove it from the pot and add it back at the end of cooking to avoid making it tough or overcooked.