How to cook perfect pasta

There’s nothing nicer than al dente spaghetti.  Healthy Food Guide founding editor Niki Bezzant shares how to make pasta perfectly 

The most important bit: choose a large pot! Pasta needs room to cook. Use plenty of water and bring to a rolling boil. Add a generous teaspoon of salt – this adds flavour to the pasta. Add pasta to the pot, give it a stir and bring back to the boil. Cook according to the time on the packet – different pastas take different times – but check a couple of minutes before the time is up. If the pasta is softened but still springy, it’s al dente, and it’s ready. Drain in a colander and serve.

Pro tip

Save some of the pasta water before you drain; it’s great for adding to your sauce to meld pasta and sauce together.

What not to do

You don’t need to add oil to the pasta pot. This doesn’t stop your pasta from clumping. Using a big pot with lots of water will do that.