view of a baked pasta in an oval dish against a wood backgroundBaked Pastabowl of pasta with meatballs and shredded parmesan with a forkStovetop pastapasta with a red sauce in a bowl and a forkPasta Sauceswhite bowl of penne pasta with shrimp, held by two handsSeafood Pastawhite dish with a blue border holding a baked mac and cheese with kaleMac and Cheesepan with orzo, green leaves, and sausage pieces in a creamy sauceOrzoshallow bowl with orzo and vegetables topped with shredded parmesan cheeseVegetarian Pasta

Tips for perfect pasta

  1. Buy the right pasta. To get truly al dente results, look for pasta made with 100% durum semolina, which is what every Italian will swear by
  2. Don’t skimp on salt. Put in a healthy amount once the water has boiled but before the pasta goes in. The water should be as salty as sea water – too little and the pasta may end up too bland
  3. Don’t trust the cook timings on the package. While a useful guide, your results may vary. I put on a timer for a couple minutes less than the minimum time on the package, and then test regularly from there until I’m happy with the firmness of the pasta
  4. Mix the sauce and pasta before plating. No Italian would serve a plate of pasta and then pour sauce over it. Mixing it before plating allows the flavours of the sauce to properly coat and flavour the pasta
Top down shot of peanut butter chicken on top rice with beans and green onions in a bowl with chop sticks
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