While cooking pasta perfectly does not require a lot of advanced skill, but it does need close attention to some of the primary rules of pasta, which one should never break.
Do not treat all pasta types the same
From spaghetti to penne, the kind of pasta you use can change the overall presentation and texture of a dish. Thus, never approach pasta in a one size fits all approach.
Boil the proper amount of water
As the pasta boils, starches are released into the liquid, which is exactly what you want if you're emulsifying it with your sauce. Cooking in too much water can leave you with less starch.
Cook your sauce first
Cooking your sauce first will allow the flavors to become more robust. It will also give your sauce a thicker consistency.
Add salt to your boiling pasta water
Generously add salt to your boiling water before adding pasta. Plain pasta is practically flavorless, so it is going to need a lot of seasoning in order to elevate the flavour.
Cook your pasta al dente
Al dente is the level of doneness you want to aim for when cooking pasta. Basically, not too hard but definitely not too soft.