Pasta
What is Al dente?
Pronounced /al DEN-tay/
Definition
Al dente means pasta cooked until it is tender but still firm at the center — literally "to the tooth."
Cut a piece in half: a proper al dente noodle shows a faint pale dot of uncooked semolina in the middle. That dot finishes cooking in the sauce.
Because pasta keeps cooking after it leaves the water, drain it 1 to 2 minutes before the box time and finish it in the pan with the sauce and a splash of pasta water.
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Related terms
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Salty, oily, dimpled Ligurian focaccia.
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Unsalted Tuscan bread built for salty food.
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Baywatch Sausage Patrol
Red swimsuit, slow-motion sprint, and a rescue can that turns out to be a warming tray. Larry blows the whistle at golden hour and the beach gets sausage and peppers instead of CPR.
Quick answer
How do you make sausage, peppers and potatoes in one pan?
Use waxy potatoes cut into three-quarter-inch chunks and give them a 15-minute head start at 425°F before the peppers and sausage join them. Total roast time is about 45 minutes. Toss the potatoes in oil separately so they crisp rather than steam.