I know I have previously said that I have no wish to lecture our many talented subscribers on how to cook. That is not our purpose but sometimes things need to be said.

I recently noted the thoughts from an American chef and food writer that the way we transfer whatever pasta we are cooking to the pan is not always the best way to capture the full pasta flavour left in the pasta water.

I totally agree. So breaking my rules I offer to all pasta loving subscribers the following suggestion:

Do not drain the pasta in a colander before adding to your ingredients in the pan. Simply take the pasta, complete with the dripping, clinging pasta water directly from pot to pan.

You will now have the precious pasta water flavours beautifully distributed into your dish.

It is always about flavour !

Arthur Huxley