How to obtain the perfect creaminess: Marco Fabbri's tips for creamy pasta
Creaming is a fundamental step that can transform a plate of pasta from good to extraordinary. This technique consists of adding a noble fat—such as extra virgin olive oil or butter—at the final stage of cooking to achieve a creamy pasta that is perfectly bound to its sauce.
Marco Fabbri, fifth-generation pasta maker, explains how to achieve perfect creaming with Pasta Fabbri.
Drain the pasta at the right moment
Drain the pasta 2–3 minutes before the time indicated on the package and toss it vigorously in a pan with the sauce and a bit of the reserved cooking water. The movement creates the famous “cremina” (silky sauce) that makes pasta so delicious.
The natural starch does all the work
During cooking, Pasta Fabbri releases “good” starch. What does this mean? It means the starch is not gelatinized because the pasta has never undergone thermal treatments. This allows the starch to bind the pasta to the sauce, creating natural creaminess without the need for potato starch or cornstarch, a trick many chefs use to thicken sauces. For perfect creaming, it’s best to use the starchy cooking water, but even with plain mineral water, the high quality of the pasta ensures an excellent result.
Finish with a drizzle of raw olive oil
In the last 30 seconds, turn off the heat and add a drizzle of high-quality extra virgin olive oil directly to the pasta, continuing to stir vigorously. This keeps the oil raw, preserving its aroma and properties, while adding shine to the dish and enhancing the pasta’s authentic flavor. Serve immediately.
Every pasta shape has its own creaming method
Each pasta format requires different attention when creaming.
For thin-sheet pasta, such as Cornetti Bio (6 min.) or Capellini Bio (5 min.), cook them halfway through the indicated time, then finish cooking them in the pan with the sauce for 2–3 minutes.
Thicker shapes, like Spaghettoni Toscani Bio (18 min.), should be cooked almost entirely in the pot but always drained 2–3 minutes before full cooking time, then finished in the pan.
If you’ve never tried Pasta Fabbri, we recommend starting with our Penne Rigate Bio: a short format, easy to cook and hard to overcook, perfect for practicing your creaming technique.
