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It’s an evening of wining and dining and you want your meal to come out perfect. Whether a side dish or main course, please your crowd with pasta al dente.

Step 1: Fill pot with water
Fill a large pot with water – five quarts for every pound of noodles.

Step 2: Add salt and boil
Add a tablespoon or two of salt per every five quarts – depending on what your personal diet allows – and bring the water to a boil.

Step 3: Put pasta in water
Put the pasta in the boiling water and twirl with the tongs a few times in the first few minutes of cooking.

Tip
Twirling the pasta with tongs separates the noodles and eliminates the need for oil in the water.

Step 4: Do a taste test after five minutes
Refer to package instructions for how long to cook – it depends on the amount of pasta – but after about five minutes, do a taste test. If you bite into the noodle and see a white starchy line, it needs another few minutes.

Step 5: Try second taste test
Try a second taste test about two minutes later. The noodles should be firm on the outside and soft on the inside.

Step 6: Drain pasta
Use a colander to drain the pasta. Transfer to a bowl, toss with sauce, and bon appétit.

Did You Know?
Al dente pasta is better for people with diabetes: sugars are broken down differently in well-done pasta, elevating bad blood sugar levels.

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