al dente

American

[al den-tey, -tee, ahl den-te] / æl ˈdɛn teɪ, -ti, ɑl ˈdɛn tɛ /

adjective

(especially of pasta) cooked so as not to be too soft; firm to the bite.

spaghetti al dente.

al dente British

/ al ˈdɛnte /

adjective

(of a pasta dish) cooked so as to be firm when eaten

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of al dente

1945–50; Italian: literally, to the tooth

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

al dente

Add the asparagus and let everything turn glossy for a few minutes, then toss with sweet snap peas, chives and al dente pasta.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026

Their handmade al dente noodles are perfect — they overnight them from Italy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2025

The finished dish should be incredibly silky and thick, with perfectly al dente noodles slicked in a rich, lemony sauce.

From Salon ● Apr. 14, 2025

Meanwhile, bring pasta water to a boil, and cook the orecchiette until it’s al dente.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 9, 2024

They resembled noodles that had been cooked al dente.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023