Never pour all your pasta water down the drain! As pasta cooks, it releases starches into the boiling water. Reserving 1/2 cup of this liquid allows you to emulsify oil or butter with your sauce. When tossed together over medium heat for 60 seconds, the starch acts as a natural binder that helps the sauce cling smoothly to the pasta noodles instead of pooling at the bottom of your bowl.

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