Al dente describes pasta, rice or vegetables cooked until they are tender but still firm when you bite them. The phrase is Italian for "to the tooth".
With pasta, it means the outside is soft and the very centre still offers slight resistance, without any chalky white core. Start tasting a minute or two before the time on the packet, because packets vary and so do pans and hobs. Bite a piece rather than throwing it at the wall.
If the pasta is going to finish cooking in a sauce, as it does in many Italian recipes, drain it a little before it reaches al dente. It keeps cooking in the pan, takes up some of the sauce, and arrives at the table just right instead of soft.
Keep a mugful of the cooking water before you drain. Its starch helps the sauce cling and loosens it if it has tightened.
The term is used unchanged in British and American kitchens.
By The Scullery team · Updated