Cooking your pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a full boil and season it well with salt. Add the pasta and stir gently as the water returns to the boil.

Fresh egg pasta — about 2–2½ minutes
Fresh semolina pasta — about 3–4 minutes
From frozen — allow about 1 minute longer

After cooking, allow about 1 additional minute to finish the pasta in the sauce. Cooking time will vary somewhat depending on the shape and thickness.

Before removing the pasta, reserve some of the cooking water.

Transfer the pasta slightly undercooked directly to the sauce. Add a little reserved pasta water and finish for about 1 minute over low to medium heat, tossing everything together. Add more cooking water if needed to loosen the sauce and help it coat the pasta. This final step is known in Italian as mantecatura.

When finishing with Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino, take the pan off the heat and wait 20–30 seconds before adding the cheese, then toss to combine.

Pesto should never be heated directly in the pan. Add it to the hot pasta away from the heat and toss to combine. If the pesto is too thick, loosen it with a little pasta cooking water. The heat of the pasta is enough to warm the sauce.

Storing your pasta

Keep pasta refrigerated until ready to cook.

Pasta can also be frozen. Cook it directly from frozen — do not thaw. Allow approximately 1 additional minute of cooking time.