Nov 25, 20204 min read

Mamma Mia, don’t overcook the pasta! Learn how to cook pasta like a True Italian

Is there anything better than pasta? Pasta is inexpensive, versatile, easy to make, filling and delicious. While gnocchi and risotto have their place, pasta is the go-to primo piatto for Italians and non-Italians alike. It’s also one of the easiest things to get wrong – or at least, to get inauthentic. Overcooked noodles with too-sweet sauces, overpowering flavors, underwhelming combinations… to name just a few problems.

If you want to cook your pasta in a way that would make even the most purist nonna’s mouth water, here are a few simple tips to get your dishes as authentic as possible.

Cook it right!

The first thing to get right is cooking the pasta itself. A lot is said of the difference between pasta al dente and pasta cooked longer. To be truly Italian, al dente – literally meaning ‘to the tooth’, or with a bit of bite – is the only way to go.

But how do you get it right? As a simple rule of thumb, just take what it says on the packet – and subtract two minutes. Boil for 10 minutes, it says? Try eight. This is a pretty reliable way to go for that perfect pasta.

But then, of course, the question is how do you know whether the pasta is cooked or not if you’re not an experienced pasta chef. There’s an easy trick. Take one piece of pasta out of the pan with a fork. Where you’ve bitten it – can you see a small white dot or line in the centre of the pasta? Then it still needs a little bit longer. If your pasta has a homogeneous color and consistency, it’s ready to go – get it out of the water and serve! (Please do not rinse your pasta! It goes from the salted boiling water into the pan with the sauce)

Awesome Sauce

If you go to the supermarket, there are shelves and shelves of pre-made pasta sauces. Before going and spending a lot of money on a jar of sauce, why not try making it yourself?

Many of the sauces we’re used to buying are pretty simple to make and there is an abundance of recipes online. Bechamel sauce, for example, as used in lasagna and many pasta bakes, has just five ingredients, many of which you’re likely to have already: butter, flour, milk, a touch of grated nutmeg and a pinch of salt. It takes about 15 minutes to make.

The same goes for all manner of tomato and cheese sauces. Search out recipes and give them a go! Try to get guidance from blogs of Italian-based cooks, too. It’s fun, you can make these sauces in bulk and we guarantee they will be healthier than the supermarket brands, which are often full of sugar and artificial preservatives.

Here are some other saucy tips to make your pasta dishes extra special:

Add a splash of water from the pasta pan into your sauce. The starch released from the pasta will help your sauce to cling to it, giving every mouthful some extra flavour.
Use better ingredients and go easy on the herbs. Of course, there are amazing herb-filled Italian sauces but resist the temptation to throw heaps of oregano and basil into everyone you make. Quality basics cooked with care tasted and adjusted as you go along, burst with deliciousness.
If you’re cooking with tomatoes, try adding a teaspoon of sugar to your sauce. It will take the edge off the natural sharpness and make for a rich and tasty dish.
Experiment! Once you’ve mastered your recipes, try some variations. A red sauce can be brought to life with a few chilli flakes, while a glass of white wine in a creamy pasta dish can add depth and richness.

A match made in Heaven

Different pasta shapes make for different visuals on your lovingly made dish. But they offer more than just a treat for the eyes. Italians will always think about which pasta shapes the best suit their sauces.

In Italy, ragu’ alla bolognese is served with a flat, ribbon-like tagliatelle which will pick up the goodness as you wrap it around your fork.

There are no hard and fast rules on which kinds of pasta go with which sauces, but here are some good principles to bear in mind:

Meaty or similarly substantial sauces go great with pasta that has big holes or indents that can pick up the pieces. Orecchiette (little ears), for example, are great for cupping a sausage meat sauce.
Flat pasta and pasta with smaller holes – like penne or bucarelli – are perfect for thick, rich sauces. Think heavy cream, cheese or rich tomato. Stir it around and let those holes suck in the goodness.
Filled kinds of pasta like ravioli and tortellini tend to need a simple dressing, as you don’t want to overpower the flavour of the filling. Try a basic red sauce of tomato passata, garlic and olive oil, make a thin broth for tortellini in brodo, or simply melt some butter and toss it together with grated parmesan. What could be better?

Next time you make some pasta, try putting some of this advice into practice! It’s not too complicated – just think about each step in turn: the perfect pasta, the sumptuous sauce and the ideal combination.

No better way to warm up than with a steaming bowl of tortellini al brodo

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