Well, pasta and I have had our fair share of culinary misadventures, and I can tell you, overcooking pasta is like turning a perfectly good comedy into a tragedy—soft, mushy, and not nearly as delightful. Did you know that pasta was actually invented by the ancient Etruscans? They probably didn’t envision their creations turning into noodle soup! The trick is to cook it just until it’s al dente, which means “to the tooth” in Italian—so it has a little bite left. Of course, every pot and pasta shape has its own quirks, so keep an eye on it like a hawk. After all, nobody wants their spaghetti to be a sad, soggy mess.