Jake served calamari and fettucine, and the judges found the calamari underwhelming, and the pasta correctly cooked al dente, but clumpy.
Second, aficionados will insist on fresh, smooth thin noodles which are "al dente", free from the taste and odor which is characteristic in many egg noodles when cooked.
In order to ensure that the noodles are perfectly al dente and free from noodley taste, the cooking process and sequence must be meticulously adhered to.
Rice should be parboiled till "al dente".
Different hawkers prepare and cook their noodles differently, but the desired outcome is the same: springy al dente noodles.
The meal was spaghetti "aglio e olio, al dente" with a sprinkle of black pepper.
Properly cooked risotto is rich and creamy but still with some resistance or bite: al dente, and with separate grains.
The cook then reduces this mixture by simmering and pours it over spaghetti cooked al dente.
