How to cook pasta

Start by adding cold water to a pot, large enough to hold about 1 quart of water per 100 grams of pasta. Place the pot over high heat.

When the water comes to a boil, add salt (about 1 teaspoon per 100 grams of pasta). Immediately add the pasta and cook according to directions on the packaging. The proper way to cook pasta is al dente (which literally means, 'to the tooth'). Depending on the brand and type of pasta, the usual cooking time for dried pasta lies between 6 and 12 minutes.

When the pasta is cooked, drain and reserve a cup of the cooking water.

For best results, return drained pasta to a pan and add about half of the sauce to it. Heat the pasta and sauce, stirring constantly, over a medium to high heat for 1 or 2 minutes, until the pasta and sauce are well blended and heated through.

Serve with the remaining sauce on top. If the pasta looks dry, use some of the reserved water to moisten it.