[mpfand]

I just boil mine in plain water and under cook it about a minute or two. Another option is to try a different pasta, like tri colored rotini or penne. They hold up better and my family appreciates the variety.

[Juletones]

I agree with Mpfand. Undercook it a bit. You could try rinsing. I don't know. I'll just wait and learn.

LLVV? You around?

[LLVV]

Here I am. I use Bertoli usually. I boil it in water that has about 1 TBSP. of salt in it. I add the salt the second the water starts to boil and then add in the pasta. I cook it until it's soft (DD will only eat soft pasta so we can't do the al dente thing). Maybe you're not adding the sauce fast enough? I sauce the pasta right after I drain it (it doesn't have to be bone dry...in fact a little bit of the water that it was cooked in does wonders for flavor.

[fleur17]

I have good luck with Barilla pasta and I always sauce the pasta right away. If I let it sit... the pasta gets sticky. I add salt when I remember, but I sometime forget. I usually cook my pasta until it is soft too. My kids do not like the al dente thing either.
Good luck with your dinner!

[LLVV]

Ooops, I mean I use barilla not beroli! Sorry about that. Fleur reminded me of the correct name.

[mpfand]

If you don't plan on saucing it right away you could add a little olive oil. I do this for my DS, who doesn't like a lot of sauce. It seems to keep it from getting sticky.

[LLVV]

That's a great idea!

[fleur17]

Quote

If you don't plan on saucing it right away you could add a little olive oil. I do this for my DS, who doesn't like a lot of sauce. It seems to keep it from getting sticky.

I have done that before. Just a little olive oil and toss the hot pasta. No sticking! Thanks for mentioning that Mpfand!

[mpfand]

Sounds like a wonderful dinner, Sheryl. I hope you have a nice time.

[Monalissa]

Sounds like a good plan! We always rinse our pasta with cold water and then mix in just enough sauce to coat the pasta. Hope you enjoy your dinner.

[MaggieMae]

I know I am so late in my response, but if you add a cup of cold water to the pot of hot spaghetti, it will stop the cooking. While oil will keep your pasta from sticking, it will cause your sauce to "slide" off. A lot of times pasta will stick even if you salt and oil so I notice of you keep stirring whlile cooking- that is the best way to keep them apart. Hope your dinner party went well- Sounds delicious!

[bigred0727]

You could even add a dash of olive oil (2 TBs or so)to the water and then add the pasta, which is what I do. Prevents sticking just as well as adding a bit of EVOO after draining but better because the sauce won't then"slide" off the pasta. The easiest way to prevent sticking without using anything is to continuously stir the pasta just until it starts to soften and then come back a few times and give it a quick stir each time and then stir one final time before draining. Also cooking it al dente is also good for preventing sticking. Also, the higher quality pastas tend to have less starch, which is what makes the pasta stick together.