What can be done to keep pasta from sticking together after it is cooked?!
What can be done to keep pasta from sticking together after it is cooked?
As soon as it is drained, my pasta begins sticking together and becomes a pasty mass before I can get it served with sauce. Help!
Answers:
It sounds like you are overcooking the pasta....a lot.
So first, do not overcook the pasta. That will reduce the excess starch.
However, you do need "most" of the starch (just no so much as you seem to have) as the starch makes the sauce adhere to it.
So, NEVER rinse your pasta with water....you will loose the starch, which you need, your sauce will not adhere to it, and swarms of Italian spirits from past generations will nag at you all night for doing it.
Next, dress it immediately with sauce so it will not stick as it cools. If that's not possible, add some olive oil to the pasta and toss lightly. That will keep the pasta loose.
Good luck!