What is Al dente?
[[File:Spaghetti-cooking.jpg|thumb|Cooking spaghetti]] '''Al dente''' is a term used when [[cooking]]. It comes from [[Italian language|Italian]], and is used for [[pasta]], [[rice]], and sometimes [[Vegetable|vegetables]]. It means that the item (for example the [[spaghetti]]) are cooked, so that they are soft, but they are still [[firm]] to the [[bite]]. Usually, cooking something al dente involves a short cooking time. [[Commercial]] pasta often specifies the [[cooking]] time (for al dente). A counter-example may be [[risotto]]: When preparing Italian-style [[risotto]], the rice is usually cooked until it is totally soft. == References == [[Category:Cooking]]