Making pasta sounds much easier than it actually is. Some people believe it’s as simple as boiling water, adding the pasta and tossing in some sauce to finish the job. However, even when using high-quality ingredients, the pasta you make often lacks the flavour found in restaurants. Sometimes the noodles turn sticky and other times, the sauce refuses to cling to them. Occasionally, the entire dish ends up tasting bland. Avoid these mistakes while cooking your pasta so that it turns out to taste as good as when you order out.
The most common mistake is failing to add sufficient salt to the pasta water. As pasta cooks, it absorbs the water. Consequently, if the water itself is bland, the pasta will remain flavourless. The correct technique involves adding enough salt to the water so that it tastes faintly like seawater. This ensures that the flavour penetrates deep into the pasta itself.
When pasta lacks adequate space to expand, the starch released during cooking quickly thickens the water, causing the noodles to clump together. Pasta cooks much more effectively and maintains a superior texture when prepared in a large pot with plenty of water.
Overcooking the pasta can also ruin its flavour. The ideal consistency of the pasta should be slightly firm to bite. Therefore, you should begin tasting the pasta a minute or two before the cooking time recommended on the package has elapsed. If it feels tender yet retains a slight firmness without tasting raw, it is ready to serve.
Many people rinse their pasta with water after draining it. However, this mistake is what compromises the flavour of the sauce. It is the starchy coating remaining on the surface of the pasta that helps the sauce adhere to it effectively.
Instead of simply pouring the sauce on top of the pasta, you should mix them together in the pan and cook briefly. This ensures that the sauce and pasta mix well and the flavours blend together seamlessly.
Discarding the starchy water left over after boiling the pasta is a mistake. This water makes the sauce smooth and creamy. Adding a small amount of this water helps the sauce coat the pasta much more effectively.
Finally, try not to overload the pasta with too many ingredients. Often, just good quality olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, cheese and fresh herbs are enough to create a good flavour. Pasta tastes better when it's cooked simply with minimal ingredients.
