The pasta will only stick together if over cooked.
I was told by an Italian chef never to put anything in the water, and only add the pasta after the water starts boiling. Olive oil and spices are supposed to be added afterwards if desiered.
He also added that if he heard of me using anything but fresh pasta (ie. not the hard one) he would personally kill me.

Not usually. They key is having a BIG POT. When starch foam boils over, your pot was too small. When pasta sticks together, your pot was too small.

This is the real answer.

If you don't want your sauce sliding off your pasta do NOT put oil in when you cook the pasta. Traditionally the pasta is supposed to absorb the sauce so if that is how you like your pasta you will fuck it up cooking with oil in the water. Its the incorrect way to cook spaghetti noodles.

The only reason people do that is to keep the water from boiling over, just watch what you are doing and don't be lazy.

Yep, the pasta is just a vehicle for the flavor of the sauce. Also dont rinse the pasta.

Fact: Oil and water do not mix.

So why would you think adding oil to the water would help in keeping the pasta unstuck, specially when the pasta stays under the water? As it's been stated, use a big enough pot and water and you'll be cool.

I haven't had pasta in ages. I know what i'm going to have for dinner.

My husband is a real chef. Graduate of Johnson and Wales University. You do NOT add oil to the water. Kosher salt only and yes, the salt does add taste.

Thanks, a culinary degree and 10 years as a chef helped me come up with that answer. :thumbsup

so whats the CORRECT answer....the best most preferred PROFESSIONAL method to cook hard pasta ???

The real trick when your cooking pasta is how much water you use to boil it in. This is where most people/ chefs get it wrong, the more water the better at least 5 liters for every 500g of pasta.
Salt can be added for flavour and it also helps harden the flour and a dash of olive oil can be added as well, personally I like to add it later when the pasta is cooked and strained.

The top reasons your pasta sticks is:
not enough water
water not boiling when pasta added
over cooking

50 GFY cooks :glugglug

this thread is worse than a religion or politics thread

look... its all about taste and personal preference... if you want to add oil, go ahead.. its not going to hurt anything

there is no right or wrong answer about this

yes you are. yummy

I never add oil to my water, usually the oil floats to the surface and the pasta is submerged in the water. In any case the key is to make sure that once the water starts boiling that you add the pasta and steer it till the temperature rises again and the water starts boiling. The air bubbles are the key in not letting the pasta stick together. As soon as your pasta is done, just take it our and run cold water on top of it. This will remove the starch and will stop the cooking.

Enjoy!

i heard it also stops the pasta from sticking together