L'amore Italian Restaurant

  • L'amore Italian Restaurant
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Menus
    • Dinner Menu
    • Cocktail Hour Menu
  • Reservations
  • Galleries
    • Food Gallery
    • Restaurant Gallery
  • Reviews
    • Our Reviews
    • Leave a Review
  • Contact

December 3, 2020 by Kim Abbott

What Does Al Dente Pasta Mean?

If you are looking for a way to cook your pasta like in Italian, then you have probably heard the term Al Dente pasta in the past. Al Dente is one of the most common styles of cooking pasta and is closely associated with Italian food. If you are trying to cook more pasta Al Dente, then your pasta needs to be tender but still firm to the bite. At the very least, your pasta should not be mushy. When it comes to Italian chef, will she pasta is the bane of their existence. If you want to cook your pasta Al Dente, there are a few key points to keep in mind. 

The Test For Al Dente Pasta

There are several ways that you can test your pasta to make sure that it is cooked Al Dente. One of the most common tips that many Italian chefs prefer to involves biting into a piece of pasta. When you bite into a piece of authentic pasta, you should see a tiny white dot located in the center of the piece of pasta. While this dot actually means that the center of the pasta is slightly undercooked, it lets you know that you have cooked your pasta Al Dente. 

Al Dente Pasta Has Some Bite To It

When you are trying to cook your pasta al dente, you should start biting into a piece of pasta a minute or two before the instructions indicated on the package. When you bite into it, you should notice some slight resistance to the pasta. If the pasta is still tender, then you have reached Al Dente perfection. Note that fresh pasta is going to feel a little bit different than dried pasta. Fresh pasta usually cooks quicker than dry pasta because fresh pasta still has some water to it. Still, even if you are working with fresh pasta, al dente pasta should still have some bite to it.

Never Overcook Pasta

If you want to cook your pasta like an Italian, and the biggest thing that you have to remember is not to overcook the pasta. If you are working with fresh pasta, it is going to cook more quickly. Therefore, you are going to have less margin for error. With this in mind, keep a close watch on your pasta and shoot for Al Dente every time. 

 

Filed Under: Cooking Tips Tagged With: al dente, Cooking Tips, Pasta Cooking

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Menus
    • Dinner Menu
    • Cocktail Hour Menu
  • Reservations
  • Galleries
    • Food Gallery
    • Restaurant Gallery
  • Reviews
    • Our Reviews
    • Leave a Review
  • Contact
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Menus
    • Dinner Menu
    • Cocktail Hour Menu
  • Reservations
  • Galleries
    • Food Gallery
    • Restaurant Gallery
  • Reviews
    • Our Reviews
    • Leave a Review
  • Contact

Visit Us

3159 E Lincoln Dr
Phoenix , AZ 85016
Phone: 602.381.3159

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Credit for most photos: Kay W. Eskridge: Images By Kay

Our Hours

Lunch
TBD.
Dinner
Mon – Sat: 4pm–9pm
Saturday Dinner: 4pm–9pm

Sunday Closed

Happy Hour
Mon – Fri: 4:00pm–6:00pm
No happy hour on Saturdays

Holiday Closures: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, sometimes Christmas Eve (call to check), Christmas Day

Contact Us

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Handcrafted with on the Genesis Framework