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You should dry the pasta for ten minutes or so before cooking. … Getting the cooking water to a rolling boil helps to keep the pasta moving and prevent sticking also. …

The simplest rule of thumb to remember for pasta is 100:10:1 - 100g of pasta to 10g of salt to 1 litre of water. This means you need a big pan if you're cooking for a lot of people, but it works. …

Penne or fusilli work well in pasta salads. The key to cooking pasta well is: Use as big a pan as possible, with plenty of water, to dilute the starch that comes out of the pasta. … Get your dressing onto the pasta ASAP to prevent it from drying out, and drizzle with good olive oil to help it last longer. …

You can't make a 'true' gravy, but you can put a little of the water into the sauce you are using to loosen it a little if it has reduced too far, or to make it go a bit further.

As Kate and Satanicpuppy have said in the comments, as pasta salad is served cold, the usual preparation is to simply leave the vegetables raw. …

If you want something a little lighter, you can use a few egg yolks, tempered and whisked with hot pasta water and mixed through the pasta with the rest of the ingredients. …

Since cooking the pasta in salted water is essential, and switching to fresh water or whatever is a PITA, I'd just use less water and thicken with something else. … The standard ratio for salting pasta water is 1:10:100 - 1 litre of water for 10g salt and 100g pasta - perhaps you're over-salting the water? …

I have a recipe for a pasta sauce that calls for 6 hours of slow simmering! … You may also have noticed in the past that left over pasta sauce that you eat the next day is really good, for the same reason as above. …

Any food simmered in milk is referred to as creamed e.g. creamed corn. So I guess this would be creamed macaroni.

Udon noodles can be anywhere between 4 and 8mm thick. They shouldn't shrink in cooking; if anything, they should expand as they absorb the water. I'd suggest that if you want super-thick noodles, make …

I've always done a layer of bechamel, pasta, meat, pasta, meat, pasta, meat, pasta, bechamel, cheeses (mozzarella and parmesan, from bottom to top). …

Yes, gnocchi store well in the fridge for a day or so, or in the freezer for longer term storage. It's best to try and keep the gnocchi separate (placing on a baking sheet or tray is best) so they don …

I've never used ricotta or any soft cheese on my lasagne - I wonder if it is an Italian American convention. I use bechamel sauce, mozarella and parmesan, and it works very well.

Boil the noodles until almost done, then rinse them thoroughly in cold water to wash off the surface starch. Toss with a little oil (sesame is nice) to prevent sticking, and leave in the colander to d …

Even so, the amount of salt you add to pasta water (10g/litre is a good guide) will barely make a difference. …