Αν τρίψεις λίγο τυρί και στραγγίξεις καλά τα μακαρόνια, η σάλτσα κολλάει καλύτερα.

Yes. Αν means if and introduces a condition.

In this sentence:

Αν τρίψεις λίγο τυρί και στραγγίξεις καλά τα μακαρόνια, η σάλτσα κολλάει καλύτερα.

the first part is the if-clause:

• Αν τρίψεις... και στραγγίξεις... = If you grate... and drain...

and the second part gives the result:

• η σάλτσα κολλάει καλύτερα = the sauce sticks better

So the structure is very similar to English: If X, Y.

Because after Αν, Greek normally uses the subjunctive, and here specifically the aorist subjunctive:

• να τρίψεις
• να στραγγίξεις

After αν, the particle να is not shown, but the verb still stays in the subjunctive form:

• αν τρίψεις
• αν στραγγίξεις

This form often expresses a single completed action:

• τρίψεις = grate
• στραγγίξεις = drain

By contrast:

• τρίβεις
• στραγγίζεις

are present forms and would suggest an ongoing or habitual action.

So here the idea is: if you do these actions, then the result follows.

It looks similar to a future form, but by itself it is not future tense.

Compare:

• θα τρίψεις = you will grate
• αν τρίψεις = if you grate
• να τρίψεις = to grate / that you grate

So τρίψεις is the aorist subjunctive form, and it can appear after words like:

• αν = if
• να
• όταν in some contexts
• other particles that trigger the subjunctive

The same is true for στραγγίξεις.

Because this sentence expresses a general result or general truth, not one specific future event.

Greek often uses the present tense in the main clause for this kind of statement:

• η σάλτσα κολλάει καλύτερα = the sauce sticks better

This means something like:

• that’s what generally happens
• this is the usual result

In English, we also often do this:

• If you dry it well, it works better
• If you add cheese, the sauce sticks better

So the Greek present here is very natural.

Κολλάει comes from κολλάω / κολλώ, which means to stick, to cling, or sometimes to glue depending on context.

Here, with sauce and pasta, it means:

• the sauce sticks better
• the sauce clings better to the pasta

So it does not mean that the sauce is literally glue-like. It just means it adheres better.

Because λίγο here means a little / some and directly modifies the noun.

• λίγο τυρί = a little cheese / some cheese

You do not normally add ένα here.

This is very common in Greek:

• λίγο νερό = a little water
• λίγη ζάχαρη = a little sugar
• λίγο ψωμί = a little bread

Notice that λίγο changes form depending on the gender of the noun:

• λίγος for masculine
• λίγη for feminine
• λίγο for neuter

Since τυρί is neuter, we get λίγο τυρί.

Greek uses the definite article much more often than English, including with food and general objects.

So:

• τα μακαρόνια = the pasta

can often sound natural in Greek even where English would simply say pasta.

The article here does not necessarily mean a very specific, already-mentioned pasta in a strongly emphatic way. It can simply refer to the pasta involved in the situation.

This is a very common difference between Greek and English.

Yes. Καλά means well, and here it modifies στραγγίξεις:

• στραγγίξεις καλά τα μακαρόνια = drain the pasta well

It means you should drain it thoroughly, not leave it too wet.

Greek often places adverbs like καλά right before or after the verb, and both position and emphasis can vary.

Because the sentence begins with the if-clause, and then the main clause follows.

So Greek punctuation works much like English here:

• Αν... , η σάλτσα...

That comma separates:

1. the condition
2. the result

If the order were reversed, the comma usage might change depending on style, but in this sentence the comma is perfectly normal.

Yes. Greek word order is more flexible than English, although not completely free.

For example, this is also possible:

Η σάλτσα κολλάει καλύτερα, αν τρίψεις λίγο τυρί και στραγγίξεις καλά τα μακαρόνια.

This still means the same thing: The sauce sticks better if you grate a little cheese and drain the pasta well.

However, the original order is very natural because Greek often puts the condition first.

It is singular.

Both τρίψεις and στραγγίξεις are second person singular forms, so the sentence is speaking to one person:

• if you grate
• if you drain

If you were speaking to more than one person, the forms would be different:

• αν τρίψετε
• αν στραγγίξετε

So the sentence as written is addressed to one person.

Because both actions belong inside the same condition:

• If you grate a little cheese
• and drain the pasta well
• the sauce sticks better

So Greek is treating them as two coordinated actions that together help produce the result.

This is exactly like English. The whole first part is one compound if-clause.