1. Know Your Pasta
Like with any ingredient you buy, make sure to purchase quality pasta. Your pasta should have very few ingredients. Semolina pasta, for example, should be made with just two ingredients: durum wheat semolina and water. Look out for brands that are made in Italy; they typically are made with simple and quality ingredients.
Bronze cut is the way to go for an elevated pasta experience. Bronze cut is a process that the pasta goes through when extruded through dies made of bronze resulting in a noodle with a textured and porous exterior. This pasta is best for helping the pasta sauce cling to the pasta.
2. Save Your Pasta Water
Once your pasta is done to your liking, reserve a few ladles full of your pasta water. This water becomes full of starchy goodness—perfect for adding to your sauce. As your sauce is heating up, add a ladle or two to the sauce, stir in, and add your pasta. The starchy water helps the sauce become irresistibly creamy and helps it cling to your pasta.
3. Buy Quality Sauce
The sauce you buy, matters! With many brands having ingredient lists packed with ingredients no one can pronounce and other brands adding ingredients like sugar or, worse, high-fructose corn syrup, it could be hard to know and trust a brand that would deliver the quality ingredients you’re looking for.
We make buying pasta sauce easy. Our pasta sauces come straight from our family-select fields in Italy, allowing us to pack as much quality and flavor as possible into our glass jars. Naturally sweet from our sun-ripened tomatoes, our pasta sauces are made with no added sugar. Plus, they’re ready to go, saving you tons of time making your own sauce. Check out our pasta sauce line.
4. The Plate Matters
We won’t lie; pasta will look fabulous no matter the dish, but there are a ton of ways to elevate your pasta experience if that’s something you’d like. Twirl your spaghetti into a large nest and place it into the center of an open-face plate. Use a large shallow bowl for your pasta cuts like penne, rigatoni, or farfalle to keep your pasta contained but still presentable. A wide-rimmed plate or shallow bowl creates the illusion that you’re eating a smaller portion—wink wink! Don’t worry, we won’t tell!
5. Never Skip on Garnishing
A little parmesan, or ricotta salata, goes a long way, but always grate it fresh. Pre-shredded and pre-grated parmesan usually has a coating that prevents it from melting seamlessly in your dishes. Fresh herbs like basil, parsley, and rosemary add a perfect pop of green and incredible flavor to your dish. A quality finishing extra virgin olive oil is also a great way to add layers of flavor to your finished meal.
6. Pick a Side
Sometimes, a side may not be necessary, but a tasty side is favorable in most. Some homemade, fresh garlic bread is a great go-to, especially for kids. Some kids struggle with the flavors of pasta sauces, so trusty garlic bread can be a great way for them to get to know the new flavors. A seasonally fresh salad or roasted vegetables like asparagus and zucchini can also be great palette cleansers for a heavy meal.