Step 1 For 1 pound of pasta you need 1 gallon of water and 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring the water to the boil and place the ends into the pot, bending the strips around as they soften. When all are covered, make sure that the pieces are separate by prodding around gently with a fork.

Step 2 Boil until when you bite a piece, there is resistance to the teeth. Al dente this is called. It should not be so soft that it melts in the mouth. Spaghetti needs 8-12 minutes; vermicelli 6-10 minutes; macaroni 10-12 minutes; noodles (egg-made) 6-9 minutes.

Step 3 When once the right texture has been achieved, pour into the saucepan a pint of iced water, stir rapidly, and pour into a colander. DO NOT RINSE UNDER RUNNING WATER.

Step 4 You can serve the plain pasta straight from the colander or you can drain it well and then put it back into a pot with some clarified butter and toss it well over the heat before you serve. (I prefer butter to oil and so do a great many Italians.)

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