Pasta is the most popular dish in Italy, which Russians have already tasted. Moreover, many of them began to understand the nuances of its preparation, for example, how to achieve the “al dente” state.
In Italy, it is customary to call pasta almost any pasta, regardless of their shape and size. In this case, the same word denotes a dish prepared from them.
Al dente
In cooking, the term "al dente" denotes a certain degree of readiness of a side dish, and it can refer not only to pasta, but also to its other types, for example, rice. The term itself is a transcription of the Italian expression "al dente", which can be translated as "by the tooth". In this case, it is meant that during the preparation of this or that side dish, the degree of its readiness is chosen such that, with a soft top layer, it retains an elastic core.
This method of cooking products is loved by gourmets not only because it gives the dish the necessary consistency, in which its ingredients, on the one hand, form a single whole, and on the other hand, each of them has a certain isolation due to the fact that they do not stick together … In addition, pasta, rice or other side dishes prepared in this way have a lower glycemic index compared to the cooked option. This can be important for people with high blood sugar.
Time for preparing
Real pasta, made from durum wheat, usually needs to be cooked for at least 7 minutes until it is fully cooked. Thus, the al dente state can be achieved if the pasta is cooked for 5-6 minutes.
However, it should be borne in mind that the cooking time of different types of pasta to the state of "al dente" can vary greatly depending on the type. So, thicker walls of a particular type of paste or a larger size of one unit of the product will lead to the fact that it will take much longer to prepare it than for a paste that is more crushed.
Therefore, in order to properly prepare al dente pasta, culinary experts recommend that you carefully study the label of the product you purchased. The recommended cooking time will be indicated on it without fail, and in order to achieve the "al dente" state, it should be cooked 1-2 minutes less than indicated on the package. However, in order to get a guaranteed result, experienced chefs recommend that before removing the pasta from the heat, try the dish and make sure that it has reached the degree of readiness you need, and only then turn off the stove.
