Mantecatura: finish the pasta in the sauce, always

Yes. Undercook the pasta by about two minutes, then finish it in the sauce with a splash of pasta water to create that creamy, emulsified coating that sticks to every strand.

The science is simple: the starch from the pasta water binds with the fat in the sauce to form an emulsion. That’s what gives you the silky mouthfeel, not a watery puddle at the bottom of the bowl. The pasta also absorbs flavor while it finishes cooking, instead of just being a bland vehicle.

Here’s the drill: cook your spaghetti until it’s slightly more rigid than al dente—still a white core when you bite it. Reserve a cup of the starchy water before draining. Toss the pasta into your simmering sauce in a wide pan. Add a ladle of pasta water, crank the heat, and toss vigorously (or use tongs) for about a minute. The sauce should tighten up and coat the pasta, not sit on top.

A common mistake is adding too much water or not tossing