This is a term that you almost certainly have heard before, whether it’s at a restaurant, from friends, on a cooking tv show, or in a comedy of some sort. Here’s a quick rundown just so you’re not caught off guard if you’re unfamiliar or uncomfortable with the term.

Literally translated, it means “to the tooth”. The term is Italian in origin and is commonly used to describe a texture for pasta. The term is typically used to denote pasta that still is firm when bitten AFTER being cooked. Usually, this is also used to indicate that the pasta is ALSO tender. In other words, not a stick but not mush either. A lot, if not most, restaurants try to prepare their pasta this way.

Now, in order to know if your pasta is al dente or not, there are different tests that can be used. There are visual tests, but different chefs have different standards as to which visual indicators mean your pasta is al dente. You’re probably just going to have to rely on feeling: tender when bitten but still offering some resistance.

If you’re wondering why it is popular, or if you’ve read this far by accident, I’ll tell you. There are two primary reasons that al dente is popular/preferred: texture and nutrition. Part of the texture reason is obvious; your pasta will still retain it’s shape when used for a casserole or when a sauce is introduced. Additionally, your pasta will still have some starches for your sauce to cling to, creating a more pleasurable dining experience.

Nutrition is a wee bit more complicated. If your pasta is al dente, then it will have a lower glycemic index than it otherwise would. When al dente, the starches in your pasta are hydrated, but not so much so that they are released into the water. As such, it will take longer for your body to break down these complex sugars, thus resulting in less spikes in your blood sugar.