🍝 Stop Ruining Your Pasta! These 5 Tips Change Everything
Pasta is comfort food, fast food, and celebration food all in one. But cooking it well requires more than boiling water and hoping for the best. These 5 chef-approved tips will help you make pasta like a pro, right from your own kitchen.
🔎 How to Choose Good Pasta
Look for pasta made with 100% durum wheat semolina. This kind of wheat has more protein, which helps the pasta stay firm while cooking.
Choose bronze-cut pasta, which has a slightly rough surface. That roughness helps the sauce stick better.
Avoid pasta that's too smooth or shiny. It's usually made using Teflon dies, and sauce doesn’t cling as well.
⭐️ Recommended Brands
A great all-around choice is De Cecco or Garofalo. These are easy to find around the world, made with high-quality wheat, and has the rough texture chefs love. It’s a reliable option whether you’re cooking for friends or testing new recipes.
🔥 Tip 1: Use less water, forget the giant pot myth.
You don’t need a gallon of water to cook pasta.
Less water = more concentrated starch = better sauce adhesion.
Example: cook 250 g pasta with just 1.5 liters of water.
Stir frequently in the first 2 minutes to prevent sticking.
See white foam on top? That’s starch gold , don’t throw it out.
🕰️ Tip 2: Don’t trust the package, your teeth know better.
Package times are suggestions, not rules.
Start tasting 2 minutes before the stated time.
True “al dente” has a small white dot/line in the center.
Planning to finish the pasta in the sauce? Take it out 1 minute earlier.
🧂 Tip 3: Salt like the sea, and only once it boils.
Add salt after the water is boiling.
Use 10 g of salt per liter of water, the pro standard.
Adding it too early delays boiling.
Not sure if it’s enough? Taste the water. If it reminds you of the ocean, you nailed it.
🥣 Tip 4: Never drain it all! Pasta water is liquid gold.
Starchy pasta water is essential for creamy, well-emulsified sauces.
Add it gradually while tossing pasta with sauce.
It helps sauces cling and shine without adding cream.
Always reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water before draining. Always.
🍳 Tip 5: Finish your pasta in the sauce, not after.
This final step is where magic (and creaminess) happens
Don’t just pour sauce over pasta, cook them together. Here’s how:
✅ Step-by-step:
1. Drain the pasta 1–2 minutes early
It should still have a bite, it will finish cooking with the sauce.
Reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water.
2. Heat your sauce on medium-high heat
Use a wide pan or pot, you need space to move.
If the sauce is thick, loosen it with a splash of pasta water.
3. Add the pasta directly into the pan
Don’t rinse it! That surface starch is key for sauce adhesion.
4. Move, stir, toss
Use tongs or a spatula to stir constantly.
Lifting and folding helps coat every strand evenly.
If you're confident, toss the pan like a pro (short, forward flicks).
5. Adjust with pasta water
Add little by little to loosen and emulsify.
You're looking for a glossy, creamy coating, not soup.
6. Turn off the heat, then add cheese (if using)
Grated cheese melts best off-heat.
Stir vigorously for a silky finish.
🌿 Kuisit Tip
This step is where sauce becomes part of the pasta, not just something on top. The heat, starch, and movement create an emulsion, where water, oil, and flavor become one. Slow down, stir with intention, and let the pasta absorb the story you're cooking.
Explore our hand-picked recipes below and bring these tips to life, one delicious plate at a time:
