Al dente is the Italian term for pasta cooked so that it remains firm when bitten.
The phrase literally means “to the tooth,” describing a texture that offers noticeable resistance without being hard or raw. For dried commercial pasta, this point usually arrives shortly before the opaque white centre disappears. Pasta continues cooking from residual heat after draining, so cooks often remove it from boiling water a little early and finish it with sauce.
Modern Italian cooking treats al dente as an ideal texture because firmer pasta holds its shape and pairs well with sauces. The preference was not always universal: historical accounts describe periods when pasta was cooked much more softly. Shorter cooking times began appearing in Naples by the 17th century, and firm pasta became broadly standard by the mid-19th century.
Al dente is not limited strictly to pasta. The term can also describe risotto and, more broadly, vegetables cooked until they retain a firm bite. “Molto al dente” means even firmer or slightly undercooked.