How to Use al dente in a Sentence
al dente
adjective-
Add the carrots to the brine and cook until al dente, for 2 minutes.
—SFChronicle.com, 26 July 2019
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Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta; cook until just shy of al dente.
—Christopher Kimball, BostonGlobe.com, 2 July 2019
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Add the orzo to the water and cook until al dente, 6 to 7 minutes.
—The Washington Post, The Mercury News, 19 June 2019
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Step 3 Add the orzo to the water and cook until al dente, 6 to 7 minutes.
—Washington Post, 11 June 2019
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Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente.
—Washington Post, 22 July 2019
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Cook the noodles until just al dente, drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking, then toss with half the dressing in a medium bowl.
—Aliza Abarbanel, Bon Appétit, 12 July 2019
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The steam trapped inside cooks the noodles to al dente, and my broiler imitates a wood oven, speckling the dough with pizza-crust dimples.
—New York Times, 27 Aug. 2019
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While the favas cook, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente.
—Ben Mims, latimes.com, 8 June 2019
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Add the fettuccine and cook according to package directions until al dente.
—Jessica Battilana, SFChronicle.com, 28 June 2019
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When pasta is al dente, not overcooked, remove, using a slotted spoon or kitchen spider, draining some of the water and adding pasta directly to the salmon.
—Kim Sunée, Anchorage Daily News, 6 June 2019
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Take the pasta course, al dente agnolotti fashioned from elastic rye ramen dough and filled with mild okara, the curdlike by-product of making tofu and soy milk.
—Adam Erace, Fortune, 9 June 2019
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Cacio e pepe is made with stuffed tortelloni (a touch too al dente) rather than long pasta like linguine or spaghetti, and a pesto-y salsa verde shifts the flavor profile entirely.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Aug. 2019
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Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked al dente to package directions.
—Christian Burno, Dallas News, 24 June 2019
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Add a few generous pinches of salt, then the pasta; cook according to the package directions (about 8 minutes), until al dente.
—Bonnie S. Benwick, The Denver Post, 4 Sep. 2019
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In addition, Arborio rice maintains its integrity during cooking and stirring, and the result is a creamy sauce with al dente grains.
—Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 29 Feb. 2024
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Return the water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, for 10 to 12 minutes, or according to the package directions.
—Joe Yonan, Twin Cities, 20 June 2019
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Add the pasta, and cook until al dente, tender but still slightly chewy, following the manufacturer’s suggested cooking time.
—Wolfgang Puck, Twin Cities, 5 June 2019
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The Spaghetti Vongole Macchiato ($16) with fresh littleneck clams was tasty and very filling, with al dente pasta and juicy clams.
—Stephanie Schorow, BostonGlobe.com, 27 June 2019
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The prized rice, instead, is carnaroli, which stays al dente much longer.
—Stefano Pitrelli, Washington Post, 22 July 2022
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Add the pasta and ground beef to the soup at the same time, and cook until the pasta is al dente.
—Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2023
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The pasta is cooked past al dente, until swoony and soft all the way through.
—New York Times, 29 June 2022
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Once the rice is thick and the grains are al dente, remove the pot from the stove and stir in first butter, then some of the cheese.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Aug. 2022
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Cook until the pasta is al dente, soft with a slight bite to it.
—Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 20 July 2023
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The shells will end up al dente to just tender, instead of a big pan of mushy food.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Sep. 2020
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Add the rice and cook until al dente, about 15 minutes.
—Colu Henry, Vogue, 26 May 2022
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These will be bright green and tender when the pasta is al dente.
—G. Daniela Galarza, Washington Post, 27 Apr. 2023
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Keep stirring and adding the stock until the rice has thickened and is al dente.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Aug. 2022
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The apples cook to a yielding, al dente texture in the batter, while the edges of the cake bake up crispy.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2020
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The rice was perfectly cooked by the Staub, just shy of al dente and not overcooked.
—Tanya Edwards, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 June 2023
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Cook pasta: Cook pasta until al dente in a large Dutch oven; drain.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 15 May 2024
Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'al dente.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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