Whether you’re a planet-eater or not, everyone can agree on the fact that pasta is the best food group. It doesn’t matter which kind you’re into, either—it always hits the spot. Even if you’ve made too many bowls to count over the years, it doesn’t always turn out perfect, resulting in some of those noodles sticking together for dear life. But one person who knows how to get it right every time? Chrissy Teigen.
This week, Teigen unveiled her new food website, Cravings, and it’s loaded with cooking tips and recipes galore. One thing that immediately caught my eye was her response to a fan who wanted her advice on how to cook pasta properly so it doesn’t stick together, and it turns out there’s a three step process to avoiding the issue. Aka you’ll never mess up your pasta ever again.
How to Cook Pasta Like a Pro, According to Chrissy Teigen
1. Give your pasta room to breathe.
If you’re trying to jam too much pasta into that boiling water, there’s no way it’s going to come out looking like you want it to. “Make sure you’re cooking your pasta in enough water so it has room to roam free and boil without having to share a proverbial twin-sized bed with other pieces of pasta,” she says.
2. Stir, stir, then stir some more.
Don’t just drop your noodles into the boiling water and forget about them. For a perfect finish, give them some TLC. “During the first few minutes, make sure to stir the pasta a lot so that it releases its initial starches right into the water, not onto other pieces of pasta,” she says.
3. Finish things off with some olive oil.
After your pasta is done cooking, grab the olive oil. It will be your BFF when it comes to making sure your noodles don’t stick together before serving them. “Add like a teaspoon onto the pasta right into the strainer and toss it,” she says. “This should solve your problem.” Spaghetti night, here you come.