German cooking experts recommend no oil and exact 10‑minute boil for perfect pasta

Television chef Steffen Henssler advises against adding oil to pasta water, explaining that oil floats on the surface and hinders sauce adhesion. He recommends using plenty of water, a large pot, and occasional stirring to keep noodles from sticking.

Research by Lund University in Sweden found that cooking spaghetti for precisely ten minutes yields the best texture. The study highlighted gluten's function as a molecular “safety net” that maintains starch structure, and warned that overcooking breaks down this gluten matrix, leading to mushy or sticky noodles.