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.

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

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 27, 2025

Be sure to salt your water heavily — “like the ocean,” as chef Anne Burrell always says — and to cook al dente, even a minute or two shy of the box directions.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2025

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

From Seattle Times • Feb. 9, 2024

Durum, the hardest wheat, produces pasta with the prized "al dente" firm texture, unlike soft wheat.

From Reuters • Aug. 30, 2023

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