Although pasta is often lauded for being fairly easy to make, there's an unmentioned problem you won't find on the box: how to prevent your pasta from becoming sticky. Thankfully, there is one easy method that can prevent pasta from becoming a gummy mess.

Olive oil can separate pasta that is already cooked and stored in the fridge, but when it comes to freshly cooked pasta, there’s a better tip. Olive oil can make it hard for your sauce to coat your pasta, so just cook your pasta in enough water at a roaring boil to prevent any sticking instead.

Pasta contains starch, which is released in the boiling water and causes sticking. In an exclusive interview with Mashed, Barilla chef Lorenzo Boni stated that the best practice for cooking pasta is to use 1 gallon of water per package and bring the water to a hard boil.