How to Sauce Pasta

Don't make the beginner's mistake of draining your pasta through a colander. Create restaurant-style pasta – and win rave reviews from dinner guests.

Step 1: Heat sauce Heat the sauce in a saucepan over medium-low heat while the pasta is cooking.
Step 2: Remove pasta from water Remove the pasta from the hot water with a skimmer – a flat, slotted utensil – once it has finished cooking. Reserve the water for later.
Step 3: Add pasta to sauce Add the pasta to the sauce and mix. Heat the pasta and sauce together for one minute.
TIP: Don't "oversauce" your pasta – use just enough to coat the noodles evenly.
Step 4: Add starchy water Add half a ladle of the starchy water to the saucepan and mix. Starch water gives your sauce a good consistency and keeps your pasta moist.
Step 5: Add fat Turn off the heat and add a small scoop of butter and a dash of olive oil and mix.
Step 6: Add cheese Grate a handful of parmesan cheese and mix it through the pasta.
Step 7: Add herbs Mix in basil or parsley just before serving. Ring the dinner bell quickly so everyone can enjoy your creation while it's hot.
FACT: The Chinese cooked with pasta as early as 5,000 B.C.