Tip for Sous-Chef: Dried pasta swells as it’s cooked in boiled water.
The thicker the pasta, the longer you need to cook it.
The thinner the pasta, the shorter you need to cook it.
al Dente literally means ‘to the tooth’, perfect is what they mean plus firmer than softer but where you can still sink the bite. Chewier.
to the tongue = softer
to the tooth = firmer
So, a way to remember it:
tongue – soft
tooth – firm
If you have a good brand pasta, bronze-die, it can cook longer than garden variety pastas and not fall apart, making a pleasant chewing experience.
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