"al dente" getting out of control? it is the way that generations upon generations of italians have eaten it, because it is the way pasta is meant to be eaten... not only that, it is more digestible when cooked properly, and it is in my own humble opinion, the most pleasurable vehicle to carry the sauce into my mouth, the texture of it feels perfect! it is indeed NEARLY undercooked like you say, but the point is that it isnt... the most pleasurable steak for me is also "nearly undercooked" like you say. "al dente" in english is merely an expression and perhaps even a "fashionable" expression, but in italian it is what it is and means what it means...buckytom said:the "al dente" thing is getting out of control. i don't like overly firm, nearly undercooked pasta.
buckytom said:would it be ok with you if i enjoyed my pasta the way i like it steven, italian history aside?
buckytom said:you may have misunderstood me. i like pasta cooked "properly", but since many have heard of the term al dente (to the bite), i've had poorly cooked pasta many times, always erring on the OVERLY undercooked side. it shouldn't be soft on the surface, but stick to your teeth in a dense center. you should be able to cleanly bite through it, with some resistance, but said resistance should be somewhat uniform.
btw, you also used an arbitrary argument!buckytom said:i like pasta cooked "properly"
Lynan said:Definire il termine "AL DENTE" è praticamente impossibile. Direi che è bene attenersi ai tempi di cottura forniti dai fabbricanti.
E' comunque assolutamente necessario assaggiare la pasta due o tre volte nel corso della cottura.
Even Italians agree that it is practically impossible to define the term Al Dente. In the end, each individual has their own interpretation of ' to the tooth' and that is how it was during my years there. Some overcooked, some undercooked but that was only my opinion, the cook was always happy!
My husband prefers his pasta cooked longer than I like mine. So, we meet half way!
Sorry, I C&P'd the 1st paragraph and cant get rid of the underlines.
Looks pretty though.
Seven S said:the truth is, italians never agree on anything!!! Urmaniac, sai quello che ti dico?!