The most popular way to spaghetti squash spaghetti is simple. Put the pasta into plenty of boiling water, stir it, bring it to a simmer, turn the heat off, put a lid on and leave it to finish cooking for 10-12 mins.

You will have to stir the pasta every now and then as it cooks. The first thing to know is that adding oil to the water has no effect, as it floats on the top of the water. Stir the pasta after you’ve added it to the water. Pasta releases starch as soon as it starts to cook. When you put it in boiling water it does this straight away, making the surface of the pasta sticky, which is why you always have to stir the pot to separate the pieces.

As the spaghetti continues to cook, the starch dissolves into the water so it doesn’t stick any more. What kind of spaghetti should I use? Higher-quality pasta has a higher protein content, and takes a couple of minutes longer to cook, but you can also overcook it slightly or cook it further in its sauce and it will still have a good texture. Fresh pasta can never be al dente.

What kind of sauce goes with spaghetti? Obviously it’s up to you what kind of sauce you want to serve with spaghetti, but in Italy, lighter, more refined sauces are used as they stick to the skinny pasta strands. Find out more in our guide on how to match pasta shapes to sauces. Bring a pan of water to the boil and season it with salt. Add the spaghetti and stir it gently until all the strands sink beneath the water level. Stir again to make sure they’re not stuck together.

Cook following the pack instructions but taking 2 mins off the time suggested. Cook for a further 1-2 mins if you need to, or if you prefer your spaghetti softer. Drain, reserving a little pasta water to add to the sauce. Add the pasta to the sauce straight away so it doesn’t stick together as it cools. Italians may prefer their ragu with tagliatelle, but spag bol is our best ever pasta recipe. Meatballs add heft to a plate of pasta, making it a comforting, family-friendly dish.