to drain (pasta)
skoh-LAH-reh
Italians often reserve some pasta cooking water (acqua di cottura) before draining. The starchy water is added to the sauce to help it cling to the pasta and achieve creaminess.
Scolo la pasta e la verso direttamente nel sugo.
I drain the pasta and pour it directly into the sauce.
Non sciacquare la pasta dopo averla scolata — amido è importante.
Do not rinse the pasta after draining it — the starch is important.