Chef Gennaro Esposito explains why smooth pasta holds sauce better

Chef Gennaro Esposito advocates for smooth pasta, arguing it better holds sauce than ridged varieties. He claims ridged pasta cooks unevenly, leading to mushy tips. Esposito explains that the ridges on pasta create uneven cooking, with the tips overcooking while the core remains underdone. This results in starch release that interferes with the sauce. He suggests high-quality, bronze-extruded, slow-dried smooth pasta has a rough texture that naturally clings to sauce, making it superior for most dishes.