We all know how to cook pasta; it’s just boiling water and pasta, right? Wrong.

Now, scientists say they have uncovered the technique for making a perfect bowl of the stuff.

According to researchers from The American Chemical Society, we’ve all been making some pretty simple errors in our quest for a quick carb fix.

So where have we been going wrong?

In a recent YouTube video, scientific consultant Kyle Nackers says to create a flawless pot of pasta you should always add salt to your water but never olive oil.

Apparently, this is all down to simple science.

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Because pasta is made up of just three ingredients – eggs, water and flour – and there are only two main chemical components – starch and proteins – working out the best way to cook pasta is pretty simple, for scientists anyway.

“The cooking process is all about manipulating the protein and starch interactions to get that perfect al dente pasta,” he says.

And while, many chefs claim that adding oil to pasta water will prevent it from sticking together, Nackers insists that it actually makes little-to-no difference.

“Most of any oil you put into the pot will be washed away when you pour out the cooked pasta and water,” he adds.

“If any is left, it will not add much effect on sauce stickiness.”

Instead, he recommends keeping pasta at a “rolling boil” and occasionally stirring to prevent clusters.

One thing that Nackers says is vital though is adding salt.

“Salt is our main flavour enhancer and if you were to enter a food competition without salt, you wouldn’t last very long.”