Simple pasta like this is great because you don't need to create a separate sauce. The "sauce" is essentially an emulsion of olive oil and the starchy boiling liquid from the pasta. This creates a light yet creamy glaze that enrobes each piece of pasta in a thin layer of flavor.

The challenge is that they can become dry or greasy if the oil falls out of emulsion. I struggled with this for years until a brilliant chef told me the secret: pretend you're making risotto. The trick to maintaining the emulsion is to stir the pasta constantly. The agitation not only helps to maintain the emulsion but also encourages the pasta to slough off starch, which helps stabilize the emulsion.

This mushroom and bacon pasta is a popular menu item in pasta shops around Japan, and now that you know the secret, I hope you try it out along with its many variations!

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