Al Dente

Pasta or other food that is al dente has been cooked so that it is still firm when bitten.

Al dente. You can also break a piece of pasta in half and look at the cross section al dente pasta is mostly cooked with a small core of uncooked pasta running through the middle. In contemporary italian cooking the term identifies the ideal consistency for pasta and involves a brief cooking time. If you cook pasta or a vegetable until it is al dente you cook it just long enough so. The etymology is italian to the tooth.

Al dente pasta will feel firm not crunchy when you bite down with your front teeth. In cooking al dente æ l ˈ d ɛ n t eɪ italian pronunciation. Al ˈdɛnte describes pasta or rice that is cooked to be firm to the bite. Molto al dente is the culinary term for slightly undercooked pasta.