DO use a timer

When in doubt, follow this rule from Lawson: “Bring your water to the boil, add salt, then tip in the pasta, stirring well to make sure it’s all in and not clumped together. Once the water comes back to the boil, let the pasta cook for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat, cover the pan with a clean, thin tea towel (not a waffle-textured one) and clamp on a tight-fitting lid.

“Let the pasta stand like this for as long as the packet tells you to cook it normally (usually seven minutes). When the time is up, drain the pasta, remembering to remove a small cupful of cooking water before doing so.”

DON’T rinse your pasta after cooking

According to Giada de Laurentiis (via her cookbook Everyday Pasta), “the starch on the surface contributes flavour and helps the sauce adhere.”

So don’t you dare even think about washing away that starch.

And DON’T panic

Why? Because it’s just not the Italian way.

“People panic in the kitchen and they don’t need to,” says D’Acampo. “The first thing to do is to open a nice bottle of wine and relax. There’s no rush. If it’s going to be late, it’s going to be a little late. Enjoy the moment.”

Fancy learning a lot more about pasta? Check out these traditional recipes by the ‘Pasta Grannies’, aka the Italian nonnas taking YouTube by storm

How to cook pasta: 9 essential tips, including whether to add salt or oil to the water