Getting pasta perfectly al dente can be tricky if you’re not sure how long to leave it in the water for, but there’s one foolproof method that you can follow
Pasta is a comfort food for many of us, and it’s hard to go wrong with. Even the most basic of ingredients can transform it into a hearty meal, whether it’s some cheese and black pepper or a classic aglio e olio using fresh garlic and chilli.
Even if you’ve mastered whipping up a homemade sauce, there’s one thing many of us struggle to achieve, and that’s perfectly al dente paste.
While pasta seems fool proof to prepare, just an extra minute or two can spell disaster, turning your dinner into a mushy mess that disintegrates at first contact with your fork.
Despite it often being served al dente in restaurants, trying to to recreate this at home can sometimes feel impossible and while overcooked pasta can ruin a meal, undercooked pasta is simply inedible.
Proper pasta should boast that perfect al dente bite, tender with a slight chew to it, and there’s one technique that will guarantee this every time.
In an article for Delish, Camille Lowder unveiled her fail-safe approach to achieving pasta perfection, promising it “will elevate all of your future pasta nights”.
Though cooking durations depend on your pasta’s shape and dimensions, Camille’s golden commandment remains constant – always undercook your pasta despite what the packaging suggests.
Good Food notes that ribbon varieties like spaghetti and tagliatelle typically require eight to 10 minutes in the pot, whilst chunkier shapes such as penne demand a touch longer, around 10 to 12 minutes.
For pasta that’s perfectly al dente, Camille suggests setting your timer for a good 3 minutes less than the suggested cooking time.
A quick taste test will also do the trick, if there’s a slight bite but it’s still soft enough to chew, it’s ready to be drained, reports the Express.
You can also keep an eye on it by stirring it as it cooks away to get a feel for its texture against your spoon.
Once cooked, let it steam dry for a minute or two to stop it from clumping together before you stir in your sauce.
Cooking pasta al dente also means you’re guaranteed more flavour, and in an article for Taste of Home, Lindsay D. Mattison explains that al dente pasta retains more starch which helps sauces cling to it better.
This method is best suited for dry pasta. Fresh pasta like ravioli and tortellini have more delicate textures and should always be cooked for the full recommended time of three to five minutes.