al dente

[al den-tey, -tee, ahl den-te]

adjective

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

   spaghetti al dente.

al dente

/ al ˈdɛnte /

adjective

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of al dente¹

1945–50; Italian: literally, to the tooth

Word History and Origins

Origin of al dente¹

literally: to the tooth