What does al dente mean on a menu?
Al dente · Italian
Pasta (or vegetables) cooked until just tender but still with a little firm bite in the center.
What it does to the food
Springy and chewy in a good way, not soft or mushy, so the pasta holds up to its sauce.
Where you’ll see it
Italian menus and descriptions of pasta, risotto and sometimes vegetables.
Related words
- al forno
- risotto
- cacio e pepe