With beans, al dente would give them a cooked crunch. So if you like your rice with a little bite, just set the timer earlier and use less water. Rice that’s more on the firm side is good for rice salads. Almost every pasta dish will call for the pasta to be cooked ‘al dente’, as overcooking pasta is a cardinal sin for Italians, but there can be variations in just how al dente a pasta needs to be.
It can really depend on the type of grain you use and its cooking instructions. The direct translation from Italian means ‘to the tooth’ and it refers to pasta or rice that is cooked to be firm to the bite. When using al dente to refer to vegetables, you want to make sure that the vegies are cooked enough so that it loses its raw taste.Ĭooking rice al dente is a little bit trickier. It’s chewy and firm, holding its whole shape in whatever sauce you put it in. You can use the term to also describe the cooked consistency of pasta, vegies, rice, and beans. The pasta or rice is cooked to be firm to the bite and is cooked just enough so that it is neither hard nor too soft, and its texture is felt by the teeth. Simply, the term al dente is Italian for “to the tooth” and is where pasta tastes and feels the best.
The food should have a slight resistance (chewy) when biting into it, but should not be soft, overdone, or have a hard centre. The term is used to describe the doneness of foods, mostly pasta and risotto, but sometimes rice and beans or even vegetables. Mushy pasta is the bane of all Italian chefs. click for more detailed meaning in English, definition, pronunciation and example. English Collins Dictionary - English Definition &. Getty Images / Laurence Mouton Pronunciation: al-DEN-tay The term al dente comes from an Italian phrase which translates as 'to the tooth.' When cooked al dente, pasta should be tender but still firm to the bite. al dente meaning and definition: Adjective: al denteOf pasta co. Al dente means to cook foods to a tender but slightly firm state, but not hard. (Italian) adj (of a pasta dish) cooked so as to be firm when eaten (literally: to the tooth).