1. If you want to enjoy cooking and eating pasta at its best, then my advice is to
buy good quality. Poor quality pasta often ends up sticky and soggy. So when you
buy your pasta, make sure it says pasta di semola di grano duro – durum wheat
semolina pasta
2. Always add the pasta in the pot as quickly as possible and stir it around just
once to separate it. If you're cooking long pasta like spaghetti, push it against the
base of the pan and, as you feel it give, keep pushing until it all collapses down
into the water.
3. You don't need to put a lid on the pan. Sometimes you can give it 1 minute's
less boiling and then allow an extra minute's cooking while you combine it with
the sauce.
4. Have a colander ready in the sink then, don't drain it too thoroughly: it's good to
have a few drops of moisture still clinging as this prevents the pasta from becoming
dry.
5. Always serve the pasta on deep warmed plates to keep it as hot as possible as it
goes to the table. Presto pronto! – in Italian this means soon and quickly.