Pasta tips & techniques

How to make better pasta sauce.

Straightforward guides for fixing sauce problems, improving texture, using ingredients better and getting more reliable weeknight results.

How To · pairing

A simple guide to matching long, short, ridged and tubular pasta shapes with creamy, tomato, chunky and lighter sauces.

How To · fixes

Practical ways to rescue pasta sauce that tastes too salty without making the sauce watery or completely changing the recipe.

How To · storage

A practical guide to freezing pasta sauce, choosing freezer-friendly sauces and reheating them with better texture.

How To · fixes

Avoid grainy parmesan sauce by controlling heat, grating the cheese finely and adding it gradually at the right time.

How To · ingredients

Easy ways to improve jarred pasta sauce with garlic, herbs, parmesan, vegetables and a few minutes of extra cooking.

How To · ingredients

Practical alternatives for making pasta sauce creamy without heavy cream, including ricotta, mascarpone, cottage cheese and pasta water.

How To · technique

Simple techniques that help pasta sauce cling to noodles instead of sliding off or pooling at the bottom of the bowl.

How To · storage

A gentle reheating method for creamy pasta sauce that helps prevent separation, graininess and dry leftover pasta.

How To · technique

Simple ways to thicken pasta sauce without flour using reduction, cheese, pasta water and other practical kitchen methods.

How To · technique

Learn when to add pasta water, how much to use and why its starch helps pasta sauce coat noodles more evenly.