Pasta may seem like a simple enough dish, but the secret to perfecting anthis Italian recipe like our Tuscan Sausage and Pepper Spaghetti is to follow six essential rules.

1. Add salt but skip the oil. Add about 10g of salt for every liter of cooking water. Salt brings out the flavor of the pasta and stops it from sticking together. Oil, on the other hand, prevents the sauce from sticking to the pasta once cooked and is never added to the cooking water in traditional Italian recipes.
2. Wait for the water to boil. The water should be boiling rapidly before adding salt. This is because salt lowers the boiling point of water and will result in under-cooked pasta if added too early. Once you’ve added the salt, wait one minute before adding the pasta.
3. Never break the pasta in two. It doesn’t matter how long the spaghetti is, if you’re going to do the traditional Italian recipe justice you should never snap the pasta before cooking. Instead, use a large pot and very carefully guide the pasta into the boiling water until it’s fully submerged.
4. Give the pasta a stir. Once submerged, gently stir the pasta with a fork to prevent it from sticking together. This will allow the pasta to cook evenly.
5. Save some of the cooking water. Save ¼ cup of the starchy cooking water and add it to the pasta sauce before draining the pasta. This will not only thicken the sauce but enhance the flavor, too.
6. Serve it al dente. The perfect pasta is served still slightly undercooked, or al dente. The chewy texture means the pasta takes longer to digest, leaving you fuller for longer – although if you follow these tips you’ll likely be back for seconds in no time!