Better Than Nonna's: Chef secrets for the perfect plate of pasta

A beautiful plate of pasta is nothing short of enchanting – rich aromas, nuanced flavors and the painstaking presentation of the professional chef. It’s easy to boil a pot of noodles, but turning strands of wet spaghetti into a Michelin-starred dish can be a tall order for the home cook. Here, area chefs share their better-than-Nonna’s recipes and secrets for everything you need (Pro tip No. 1: Start with fresh pasta.) to take your pasta from basic to bellissima. Get the recipes for:

• Canestri Cacio e Pepe from Pastaria's Gerard Craft
• Wild Mushroom Fettuccine from Vertias Gateway to Food and Wine's Mathis Stitt
• Spaghetti with Heirloom Cherry Tomato, Shrimp and Arugula from Basso's Rex Hale
• Black Pepper Pappardelle with Marsala Cream Sauce from Eleven Eleven Mississippi's Trevor Ploeger