al dente

Meanings

1. 1adjectivenot comparable

   (of pasta, rice, or vegetables) cooked until firm but not soft, so it still has a slight bite when chewed.

   Grammar: Used after a linking verb or after the noun: the pasta is al dente; cook the pasta al dente. It is not placed before a noun.

   Patterns

   • be al dente
   • cook something al dente
   • serve something al dente

   Boil the spaghetti for eight minutes so it stays al dente.

   The rice was al dente, with a pleasant firmness in the middle.

   She likes her vegetables al dente rather than soft and mushy.

2. 2adverb

   In a way that leaves pasta or rice firm but not soft when cooked.

   Grammar: Often used after the verb cook or serve, as in 'cook the pasta al dente'.

   Patterns

   • cook something al dente
   • serve something al dente

   Cook the noodles al dente so they hold their shape in the sauce.

   The chef served the risotto al dente, exactly as the recipe asked.

Common combinations

cooked al dente

The pasta was cooked al dente, just the way I like it.

stay al dente

Add the sauce at the end so the noodles stay al dente.

perfectly al dente

After six minutes the broccoli was perfectly al dente.

al dente pasta

Al dente pasta gives the dish a better texture.

serve something al dente

They serve the rice al dente with grilled fish.

Synonyms and how they differ

firm

A general word for something not soft; 'al dente' is more specific and used mainly about pasta, rice, and vegetables.

crunchy

Describes something that makes a noise when bitten; 'al dente' food is firm but usually not crunchy.

underdone

Means not cooked enough, often in a bad way; 'al dente' is a deliberate, desirable level of cooking.

Opposites

Commonly confused: al dente or al fresco? al dente or dental?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “al dente”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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