That's a splendid comparison with the steak, and it reminds me of another helpful tip. A good meal of pasta deserves to be eaten piping hot, so try not to serve them up on cold plates from the shelf.

Instead, heat them up by ladling some of the boiling water used into the bowls. When you’re ready to eat, just empty the water and towel-dry the heated dishes before you top the noodles in them. This helps keep it 'alive' before it reaches table guests mouths (who are all busy on their phones) or in this case, allows me to take some pictures first!