What Italian term describes pasta cooked to a firm bite?

What Italian term describes pasta cooked to a firm bite? The term is al dente, literally “to the tooth.” It describes pasta that is cooked through but retains a slight firmness when bitten, rather than becoming soft or mushy.

In contemporary Italian cooking, al dente is widely regarded as the ideal texture for many dried pastas. The pasta should have enough resistance to hold its shape and support a sauce. Cooks generally test it near the end of the package’s suggested cooking time, although the exact timing varies with pasta shape, thickness, ingredients, and altitude.

The phrase became associated with Italian pasta culture relatively recently. Historical accounts indicate that pasta was often cooked very softly for centuries, while shorter cooking times began appearing in Naples during the 17th century. By the mid-19th century, firmer pasta had become more common, and the expression later spread internationally through restaurants and cookbooks.

Al dente can also describe firmly cooked rice, risotto, and vegetables. “Al forno” means baked, “al burro” means with butter, and “al sangue” generally refers to meat cooked rare, so none describes pasta texture.