Al dente: all DEN-tay, Italian. Literally, “to the tooth,” meaning the pasta is firm (but not raw) in the center when you bite it. To make perfect pasta, boil 4-6 quarts of water per pound of dry pasta. Add pasta, stir and return water to boiling. Stir occasionally. Follow package directions for cooking times. If the pasta is to be used as part of a dish that requires further cooking, undercook it by one-third of the cooking time specified on the package. Take a bite of the pasta to check doneness. Drain pasta immediately. You don’t need to rinse it, unless you plan to use it cold, or if you aren’t saucing it right away. In those cases, rinse the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process, and drain well.|Kristen Browning-Blas|Sources: ilovepasta.org, busy cooks.about.com
