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In cooking, al dente/ælˈd?nte?/(Italian pronunciation: [alˈd?nte]) describes pasta orrice that is cooked to befirm to the bite. The etymology isItalian "to the tooth". Incontemporary Italian cooking, the termidentifies the idealconsistency for pasta and involves a briefcookingtime.
Then, is Rice supposed to be al dente?
Al dente refers to the desired texture ofcookedpasta (and rice) in Italian cooking. It means "tothetooth". When the pasta is cooked al dente, there shouldbea slight resistance in the center when the pastaischewed.
Then, why is it called al dente?
Al dente in Italian means "to the tooth".Thebasic idea is cooking dried pasta so that it retains a bitoffirmness to the bite and is not overcooked.
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil in a large pot with a tight-fittinglid.While the water is coming to a boil, rinse the rice undercoldwater for 30 seconds.
- Boil, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
- Pour the rice into a strainer/colander set in the sink.
- Immediately cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid.