A Michelin star chef from Spain has revealed the four mistakes he believes most people make when it comes to simply boiling pasta and why Italians would never forgive the errors12:24, 30 May 2026You may think that not many things can go wrong with simply boiling some pasta — but one Michelin star chef has warned about four “unforgivable” mistakes.‌As we know, boiling pasta is straight forward, but there are times when it comes out too soft, too hard or it can just stick to the bottom of the plan.‌And according to chef Jordi Cruz, who is a judge on the Spanish MasterChef, many of us make the same four errors when boiling pasta, and he warned: “In Italy, those mistakes would never be forgiven, so don’t make them.”‌Cooking with too little waterDespite what many believe, you need to use plenty of water when cooking pasta, and according to Jordi, the ideal ratio is 100 grams of pasta per litre of water. So, the next time you are filling up your pan, don't skimp on the water.Using no saltJordi believes you should always use salt when boiling pasta, but not too much and not too little.‌As for why, he explained to his 2.3million Instagram followers: “Because when we finish the pasta dish in the pan with the sauce, we may need a little bit more liquid. And this pasta cooking water is great for that. I have eight litres of water here. We would therefore add about 100g of salt.”Adding oilIf you add oil when cooking pasta, Jordi had a blunt warning: “This is the biggest mistake you all make.”He said adding oil will immediately result in the sauce sliding off the pasta meaning it fails to soak up the flavour. As a tip, he noted that the quality pasta has microscopic holes which allow sauces to cling to it.‌FlavouringsJordi is often asked whether flavourings like garlic, oregano and bay leaves should be added to the water, and his answer is clear.He said: “No! Why? Because we are interested in the pasta flavour. It’s better if we don’t add anything.”‌In conclusion, to boil the tastiest pasta, you need to do so using the right amount of water and salt without feeling the need to add flavourings or oil. The same tips also apply when it comes to whole-wheat pasta or gluten-free pasta.Jordi meanwhile is also famed for previously claiming that Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates once booked out his award-winning ABaC restaurant in Barcelona for 48 hours — before buying a fizzy drink and leaving.Article continues belowSpeaking about the billionaire not trying a single dish, he told Planeta Calleja: “Some time ago, Bill Gates came to the restaurant. Everyone came with him... his 25 bodyguards, entourage.“Bill booked out the whole restaurant, just for him. We had prepared the best and biggest for him and his team. And do you know what Bill did? He ordered a Diet Coke and went back to his plane.”