Perfect Pasta? I'll give it a try

Ever knocked up a bolognese or ragu, boiled and drained your pasta of choice only to find oneself pushing the strands (or spirals) of pasta that have not been regaled with the sauce around the plate? As a man destined to never get my pasta portions correct I too have suffered this horrible fate; forever doomed to either toss the remaining tubes (or shells) into the bin or begrudgingly chew on empty carbs.

But it needn't be so! Here are my personal tips to make pasta the star of the show once more. No longer a means to simply fill our bellies with stodge but a celebrated ingredient in it's own right. Here's what you need to do.

The pasta you use is one of those points that everyone could agree is important, but they're probably not sure why. I mean, I know it comes in various shapes and it isn't always dried but so what?
You'd be vindicated in saying that. No-one is going to suffer stomach problems because you lavished a beschamel sauce on conchiglie nor will your Italian friends disown you for using shop bought dried pasta (although that's not usually a problem since Italians only seem to care about fashion and coffee, but that's besides the point).

However, ancient Italian Pastamancers crafted each shape to specifically cradle a certain sauce, so try finding out which goes with which, like penne with tomato based sauces or fusilli when it needs to stand alone. Also try using fresh egg pasta available in most supermarkets; it's invariably more expensive but I bet you won't believe the results. Or you might actually since, after all, it is just pasta

Tip number two? Once drained, dress the pasta with freshly ground pepper and a good glug of extra virgin olive oil. Yes, I know every single chef covers everything with the stuff but there is good cause; the olive oil adds a robust base of flavour to the food and it also makes you look like you know what you're doing when with friends and family. I used to add grated cheddar but stopped because not only does an Italian, somewhere in the world, get a shiver up their spine whenever you do this but it also has a tendency to make the overall result a bit cloying and fatty. Which, sometimes, has it's place but not in pasta.

Finally, and I saved the curve-ball for last, half a clove of freshly grated garlic. As this point I know I've got the rooms attention, some swooning from my devil-may-care approach to pasta and others verbally distraught, but give me a chance. If you are a fan of garlic, like me, and you never get that pungent slap in your dishes this is the trick you need. You don't need a lot; raw garlic is stronger than cooked garlic and you can always add more but can never take away.

I promise if you follow these tips your pasta will never be humdrum again. Although there is always the chance that I have no idea what I am talking about, in which case I humbly apologise for your plate of ruined linguine and urge you to order a pizza