Advertisement

Test Kitchen tips: Defining ‘al dente’

Share

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

An Italian phrase, ‘al dente’ literally means ‘to the tooth.’ The term is often used in recipes to refer to the texture a food should have when it is cooked, most notably pasta, but also with rice and sometimes vegetables.

To check for an al dente texture with pasta and rice as you’re cooking, take a noodle or grain out of the pot and bite into it. The outer layer of the pasta or rice should be fully cooked, but with a very thin dot of white in the center; the texture should be soft but firm. With vegetables, there should still be some bright color, and the texture should be tender but firm.

Advertisement

The cooking times of pasta can vary by brand; I’ve found I almost always get the best results when I simply follow the instructions given by the producer. Same with rice.

Finally, as soon as whatever you are cooking has reached al dente, remove it from heat so it does not overcook. Strain if needed, and serve. With vegetables, if you’re not serving them immediately, shock them in an ice bath to stop the cooking process, and drain them as soon as they cool so they don’t absorb extra water.

If you have any kitchen tips or questions you’d like me to explore, leave a comment below or email me at noelle.carter@latimes.com.

ALSO:

Go behind the scenes at the Test Kitchen

134 recipes for your favorite restaurant dishes

Advertisement

Browse hundreds of recipes from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen

-- Noelle Carter
Twitter/noellecarter

Photo credits: Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times (top); Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times

Advertisement