A pasta dish doesn’t always turn out as rich and creamy as we want it to be, but that doesn’t mean you need to start ladling tons of cream and butter into your noodles. There's a simple method that can make your pasta creamier and richer without adding any additional ingredients: cooking it pasta risottata style.

Pasta risottata is essentially pasta cooked like risotto, making it creamy by using its natural starches. Start with a large, deep skillet or pot with a lid, add the noodles and enough water or stock to just cover the top of the pasta, then bring it to a simmer over medium heat before reducing the heat to low and covering the pot.

Cook the pasta, stirring frequently, until the liquid is absorbed and the noodles are tender. The key to this technique is constant stirring, which releases the starch from the noodles and creates a creamy sauce, and the pasta also absorbs liquid more slowly, allowing it to cook evenly and soak up more flavor, if you use a liquid like broth.