When is a noodle al dente

You've seen it written a hundred times in all of your favorite pasta recipes : "Cook pasta to al dente". It's a direction we feel very strongly about at Delish—but what does it really mean?

Al dente is Italian for "to the tooth" and, in our humble opinion, is the only way to cook your pasta. The pasta shouldn't be hard, but have a tiny amount of resistance when you bite into it. What you're looking to avoid are noodles so soft that they lose all their texture and are on the verge of turning to mush. Let's be real: It's heartbreaking to be served a bowl of pasta like that. My butcher gladly butterflied the chicken for me, therefore I found it to be a fast and easy prep.

I used my cast iron skillet- marvellous! John, wasn't it just amazing chicken? So much better than your typical oven baked chicken and on par if not better than gas or even charcoal grilled. It gets that smokey charcoal tasted and overnight koshering definitely helps, something I do when time permits.

First-time I've pierced a whole chicken minus the times I make jerk chicken on the grill. Yup, the cast iron was not an issue. Cook Thanksgiving with Confidence. America's Test Kitchen will not sell, rent, or disclose your email address to third parties unless otherwise notified.

Your email address is required to identify you for free access to content on the site. Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission. Save Pin FB More. Spaghetti with Best-Ever Bolognese Sauce.

Credit: Andy Lyons. Cook Spaghetti. One-Pot Spaghetti. Credit: Blaine Moats. Cooked, drained, and crumbled sweet or spicy Italian sausage. Shards of Parmigiano-Reggiano made by scraping a vegetable peeler across the chunk of cheese.

Slivered Kalamata olives, crumbled feta, and snipped fresh oregano. Dried tomatoes, fresh basil, and coarsely chopped marinated artichoke hearts. Shredded fresh spinach and crumbled crispy bacon. Crumbled blue cheese and toasted pine nuts. Still, even with fresh, the cooked pasta should have some bite to it.

Making sure you don't overcook it is even more paramount with fresh pasta, as you will have much less margin for error. Actively scan device characteristics for identification.

Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads.