EXCLUSIVE: A top chef revealed his top tips for elevating pasta, from a simple one-minute cooking trick to a rarely used ingredient
Samantha Masters Content Editor
08:00, 29 Nov 2025
The chef also swears by an unusual ingredient for an even better taste
A chef, based in London, swears by a one-minute trick that he says will make your pasta “perfectly supple”. Whether you’re a fan of carbonara or bolognese, Nima Safae insists that letting the pasta rest in its sauce can make all the difference.
He said: “Remember to rest your pasta for one minute before serving, just like you rest a steak. Letting it sit in the sauce off the heat allows the flavours to settle and the texture to become perfectly supple.”
The chef is the owner of 40 Dean Street, an Italian restaurant and bar in the heart of Soho. Having trained under Salvatore Ferrara, a chef nutritionist, who has worked with Marco Pierre White and Aldo Zilli, he’s no stranger to professional kitchens or culinary tricks.
The chef says letting the pasta rest makes all the difference(Image: Getty)
Sharing his most controversial culinary opinion, which he admits Italians might not approve of, he says soy sauce isn’t just for rice and noodle dishes.
In his opinion, incorporating the sauce into ragú can transform its flavour from “fine to outstanding”.
He explained: “Adding soy sauce to a ragú gives it a deep, rich umami taste you can’t easily replicate with any other ingredient.
“Yes, the entire population of Italy may hate me for it, but there’s something about the sweet yet tangy profile soy sauce adds that can turn any ragú from fine to outstanding.”
Meanwhile, if you’re preparing a pasta-based meal during the festive season, Nima revealed how cooks can incorporate a hint of Italy into their cooking.
Chef Nima Safaei shared his top tips
“I love bringing subtle Italian touches to classic British dishes for Christmas, such as rosemary-infused olive oil, a squeeze of Amalfi lemon to brighten rich meats, or finishing vegetables with aged balsamic for sweetness and acidity,” he explained.
“When it comes to your meats, don’t underestimate the power of a slow, aromatic soffritto as a base.
“Celery, carrot, and onion cooked down until jammy brings an underlying warmth that makes a Christmas dish taste like it’s been prepared with real care.”
Sharing with his “pro tip”, he noted: “I sometimes substitute my onion for shallots to give the dish a zingy sweetness.”
Nima Safae says adding soy sauce to ragú ‘gives it a deep, rich umami taste’ (Image: GETTY)
Furthermore, Nima revealed his top tips on creating the perfect roast potatoes over the Christmas period.
“The secret to the best roast potatoes of your life is all in the texture. I start by parboiling Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes with a pinch of baking soda, then giving them a good shake in the pot to rough up the edges.
“They go into very hot olive oil infused with garlic and rosemary, which guarantees a crisp, golden crust and a fluffy centre. A final sprinkle of salt as soon as they come out of the oven gives them the perfect flavour – they rarely make it to the table without someone pinching one,” he concluded.
Dining and Cooking