Al dente means, literally, “To the teeth”. What it means in practice is that when you bite into it, it should still be slightly firm. For example, when cooking pasta, the pasta should still be slightly undercooked in the centre and should provide some resistance when you bite it. When pasta is overcooked it is soft all the way through and feels a bit soggy.
Advertisements
May 10, 2010 at 8:03 am
A very comprehensive definition of al dente. Thank you.