Pasta is easiest to finish well when its sauce is ready at the same time. Use the packet time as a guide, then check the texture. Save some cooking water before draining so you can loosen the sauce without adding an unrelated liquid.
Step by step
Prepare the sauce and water
Have the sauce ready to receive the pasta. Bring a suitable pot of water to a boil and salt as your recipe directs, allowing for salty sauce ingredients. Leave headroom so the pot can bubble without overflowing.
Add and stir
Add the pasta and stir soon afterwards to separate pieces. Maintain a controlled boil and stir occasionally, especially with shapes that tend to nest. Oil in the water is unnecessary for preventing sticking.
Check before the full packet time
Take out a piece, let it cool enough to taste and check the centre. For pasta finishing in a hot sauce, transfer it while still slightly firmer than the final texture. Fresh and dried pasta can have very different cooking times.
Save water before draining
Scoop some hot cooking water into a heatproof jug with a handle, keeping hands clear of steam. Drain the pasta carefully or transfer with tongs, then combine with the sauce. Add reserved water in small amounts as needed.
Sticky pasta and a thin sauce
For a hot sauced dish, avoid rinsing away surface starch unless the recipe specifically calls for rinsing. Transfer promptly rather than leaving drained pasta to stick together. Add only enough reserved water to loosen the sauce; you can add more, but an excessive amount needs extra cooking to reduce.
