It's about time we debunk some popular pasta-making myths.
There's no shortage of pasta-making hacks and habits that people claim are passed down from some Nonna in the know, but many of them turn out to be as flimsy as angel hair pasta. To debunk some of these well-known myths, I spoke with Filippo de Marchi, chef de cuisine at De Majo Restaurant & Terrace about the biggest pasta mistakes. Marchi cooks more batches of pasta in a year -- mostly from scratch -- than most of us will in a lifetime. He reveals that there are some rather blatant pasta blunders happening and asks that we all wise up before the pasta police come knocking. One of the worst offenses, according to Chef Marchi, is adding expensive olive oil to pasta water thinking it will keep noodles from sticking. "Cooking pasta isn't difficult. It's all about timing and the right water-to-pasta ratio," he says. "Don't fall into the trap of believing in pasta myths. Just trust your instincts and follow basic instructions." Here are the eight biggest pasta-making mistakes, myths and bad habits that you should stop doing immediately. 1. Throwing pasta against a wall to see if it sticks Cooked pasta will indeed stick to a wall, but that doesn't mean it's a good way to determine doneness. Laura Ciapponi/Getty "This isn't the best way to check for doneness," says de Marchi. "The texture of the pasta can change when it hits the wall, and it doesn't give an accurate indication of whether it's properly cooked." Plus, you're likely to splatter your wall with starchy noodle juice, or worse, watch it slide down the wall and behind the stove. Instead, it's more accurate to scoop out a single strand and taste it. You'll then be able to tell if it's achieved that perfect al dente texture. 2. Adding olive oil to pasta water Olive oil in your water isn't the best fix for sticky pasta. Alina Bradford/CNET Olive oil is a necessary addition to most pasta dishes, but save it for the plate. Some folks think it will help keep pasta from sticking when added to boiling past…