Pasta is one of those dinners that’s so easy to make yet always hits the spot. The best part is that you can never get tired of it since there are so many different sauce options to try, from spicy tomato-based ones to creamier and more decadent options.
However, when you’re cooking spaghetti, there’s one very common mistake that can make it taste blander—and it has nothing to do with salting the water. According to Hugo McCafferty at The Takeout, who lived and cooked in Italy for 18 years, breaking up your spaghetti before putting it in the pan is a massive no. He said: “Italian cuisine is all about simplicity and therefore, seemingly small details can make a big difference.”
Why you should never break spaghetti
If you’re cooking your spaghetti in a small pot, you might not think twice about snapping it in half to allow it to fit more easily. However, this could be making your dinner taste more bland without you even knowing.
Hugo explained, “Breaking the pasta changes the consistency of the finished dish. Spaghetti works as a pasta because it makes a big, tangled mess, creating many little pockets for the sauce to accumulate.”
However, it’s not just the taste of the sauce that this mistake could ruin – it’s the whole pasta-eating experience as a whole. Food is a very mindful thing, and every part of the meal should be treated as such.
Hugo continued: “The twirling of the fork and the method for eating it is fundamental to the whole pasta experience, in fact, it’s one of the most Italian things you can do, so treat it with respect.”
How to cook spaghetti perfectly
For your spaghetti to have the best flavour, putting it into the pan whole isn’t the only thing you’ll need to do. According to the experts at BBC Good Food, cooking spaghetti in less water is key.
That way, instead of pouring away lots of water after cooking, you’ll end up with a small amount of very starchy water in the pan. When you add this to a sauce, it’ll thicken it up and add a lovely salty flavour.
Contrary to popular opinion, you should never add oil to the pan when boiling. This will not stop the spaghetti from sticking together, but it will make the sauce slide off, which is never ideal.
The pros say the easiest and best way to cook spaghetti is simply to put it into a pan of water, stir it, bring it to a simmer, turn the heat off, put a lid on, and leave it to finish cooking for 10 to 12 minutes.