How to Use al dente in a Sentence

al dente

adjective
Definition of al dentenext
  • By the end of the 45-minute flight, the pasta was well past al dente.
    — Andrew Chapman, Scientific American, 18 July 2024
  • Add the soba noodles and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until just al dente.
    — Laura McLively, The Mercury News, 26 June 2024
  • The grains of rice should be al dente, not mushy, and the mixture should be creamy.
    — Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 29 Feb. 2024
  • The texture of the onion would be something akin to al dente.
    — Jim Shahin, charlotteobserver, 12 June 2018
  • The prized rice, instead, is carnaroli, which stays al dente much longer.
    — Stefano Pitrelli, Washington Post, 22 July 2022
  • 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
  • The pasta is cooked past al dente, until swoony and soft all the way through.
    — New York Times, 29 June 2022
  • 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
  • Cook until the pasta is al dente, soft with a slight bite to it.
    — Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 20 July 2023
  • Add the carrots to the brine and cook until al dente, for 2 minutes.
    — SFChronicle.com, 26 July 2019
  • 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
  • Add the rice and cook until al dente, about 15 minutes.
    — Colu Henry, Vogue, 26 May 2022
  • These will be bright green and tender when the pasta is al dente.
    — G. Daniela Galarza, Washington Post, 27 Apr. 2023
  • Keep stirring and adding the stock until the rice has thickened and is al dente.
    — Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Aug. 2022
  • Here’s how: Cook the pasta al dente, drain and toss with a drizzle of olive oil to just coat.
    — Claire Perez, Sun-Sentinel.com, 22 June 2018
  • 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
  • The rice was perfectly cooked by the Staub, just shy of al dente and not overcooked.
    — Tanya Edwards, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 June 2023
  • Add the green beans and salt and boil until soft (past al dente), about 20 minutes.
    — Benjamin Kemper, Saveur, 17 Aug. 2023
  • The solution is to cook them on the firmer end of al dente to make sure there’s no breakage.
    — Alex Beggs, Bon Appétit, 29 Apr. 2022
  • Place pasta in the pot and cook 9 to 12 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
    — Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 2 Apr. 2020
  • The star here are the pastas, which are all made in-house and cooked perfectly al dente.
    — Christina Liao, Forbes, 10 June 2021
  • The apples should be al dente - not turned to mush but not too crisp still either.
    — Carrie Knauer, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, 9 Sep. 2019
  • Add the orzo to the water and cook until al dente, 6 to 7 minutes.
    — The Washington Post, The Mercury News, 19 June 2019
  • There’s a time for al dente pasta, but this is not that moment.
    — Bon Appétit, 9 Sep. 2021
  • Step 3 Add the orzo to the water and cook until al dente, 6 to 7 minutes.
    — Washington Post, 11 June 2019
  • Add the farro and boil until cooked through and al dente but not mushy, 20 to 35 minutes.
    — Washington Post, 9 July 2021
  • The edamame dumplings were simple, steamed dumplings, filled to the brim with buttery, nutty, al dente edamame.
    — Kaitlyn Rosati, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2024
  • Add the noodles and boil until just al dente, 5 to 6 minutes.
    — USA TODAY, 1 Apr. 2022
  • During the cooking process, the pasta came out a perfect al dente with just the right amount of bite.
    — Michelle Love, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Sep. 2023
  • Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 13 to 15 minutes.
    — The New York Times News Service Syndicate, The Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2020

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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