Food & Drink

Delight your friends and amaze your family with your pasta making skills, simply by following this easy step by step guide to avoiding pasta pitfalls. It need never be sticky, gloopy, overcooked or undercooked again.

Step 1 - choose a good brand of pasta, and as you survey the economy 3 kilogram bag of fusilli, remember its quality, not quantity that counts.

Step 2 - When it comes to the pot, size matters! Use a big pan that will accommodate all the pasta you need without overcrowding. Put in plenty of water, as good quality pasta will absorb water. As a guide, measure out 75 grams of pasta per person for a main course portion.

Step 3 - Always let the water boil first before adding the pasta.

Step 4 - Add salt if you want to. It's a matter of personal taste.

Step 5 - Put all the pasta in at the same time, and stir until its all completely covered by water. Then cover the pan until it comes back to the boil.

Step 6 - Don't leave your pasta unattended. When the water has boiled, take the lid off the pan and finish cooking uncovered.

Step 7 - Stir the pasta two or three times during the cooking. This will ensure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot - and from sticking to itself. Normally pasta takes about 8 - 10 minutes to cook. Check the instructions on the side of the packet.

Step 8 - Never add olive oil to the cooking water. The oil can coat the pasta, and stops any sauce you use sticking to it when you make the final dish.

Step 9 - Take the taste test. If you like your pasta al dente, you will need to begin tasting about two minutes before the manufacturers guideline cooking time is up. You will have to taste it to check it's just the way you like it.

Step 10 - Always use a colander to drain your pasta - never the lid of the pan. This was the pasta will get completely drained and will not be watery when served. Never rinse pasta - you'll be washing away most of the starches and nutrients that you were hoping to enjoy.

Step 11 - Once drained, serve immediately with your chosen sauce.

So follow these simple rules, taste and learn when the dish has cooked to the consistency that you like, and your friends and family will never be anti-pasta again!