Al Dente - Why Properly Cooked Pasta Feels Better
- Anjali Carl
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
Pasta sounds simple: flour, water, heat. But the difference between mushy soft noodles and perfectly al dente is structure and science.
Traditional Italian pasta is made from durum wheat semolina, which is high in protein. And when hydrated and mixed, the protein forms gluten to give pasta elasticity and strength. Inside that protein matrix are starch granules; cooking pasta is basically managing what happens with those starch granules.
As pasta cooks, the boiling water penetrates the outer pasta layer and starch granules swell. Around 140 degrees, the starch starts to soften and loses its rigid structure, a process called gelatinization. And the gluten proteins come together to set the shape. If cooking stops at the right moment, the outer layers are fully hydrated while the interior stays slightly firm and the intact gluten structure holds everything together.
But, let the pasta cook too long, the starch granules will rupture, weakening the gluten network. The increased water washes the surface starch away wrestling in soft, sticky pasta. And it doesn’t just feel worse. Overcooked pasta holds sauce poorly as well.
With al dente pasta, the surface starch allows the sauce to cling better. And Italian cooks often transfer pasta to the sauce before it’s fully cooked. Why? The last 1-2 minutes allow the starch to be released into the sauce which helps emulsify fats and water, allowing the pasta to absorb flavor directly.
Al dente pasta is about balance in science.
Anjali Carl is a junior at Cedar Park High School in Cedar Park, Texas. They have been excited about food science since making ice cream in a third-grade science class, and now enjoys baking and recipe development. Through their Girl Scout Gold Award project, they created two cookbooks focused on reducing food waste for food pantries and college students. They plan to study food science and eventually become an ice cream chemist.
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