Should I add oil to my pasta water?

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“Oil is only needed if the pasta is being used for a salad and to help it from sticking together. But only add it after cooking, and toss through when the pasta has been rinsed and totally cooled, otherwise the pasta turns a bit wrinkly. Use extra virgin olive oil for maximum health and flavour. As for salt, well, it’s only needed to add a hit of flavour – pasta is just flour and water, so it benefits from a sprinkle in the water. But the healthier option is to make your sauce more flavoursome. You can’t go wrong by adding any (or all) of the below ingredients – and don’t be shy with quantities. Try adding parsley, basil, chilli flakes and/or lemon zest to transform a tomato sauce from mediocre to more-ish. It’s not unusual for me to add one garlic clove per person... so you have my blessing to go all out!”

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