al dente

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

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR al dente ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, adverb

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

Origin of al dente

1945–50; Italian: literally, to the tooth

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for al dente

firm, medium

Examples from the Web for al dente

Contemporary Examples of al dente

Cook for 6-8 minutes; you want them al-dente, because they'll keep cooking in the hot soup.
The Gadget Chef: Reconstructed Chicken Soup
Megan McArdle
November 2, 2012

British Dictionary definitions for al dente

al dente

adjective

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

Word Origin for al dente

literally: to the tooth

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

Word Origin and History for al dente

1935, Italian, literally "to the tooth," from Latin dent (see tooth).