Aldente – what is it and the meaning of the word, how long does it take to cook pasta and vegetables

The content of the article

• Meaning of the word aldente
• What is prepared in this way
• Aldente Recipes
• Pasta aldente
• Vegetables
• Rice

In cooking, there are several degrees of readiness of any product after it has undergone heat treatment. One category is known as al dente. This term applies to products that have retained elasticity after cooking or brought to a semi-finished state. Find out what dishes can be done this way and what you need to consider when cooking to bring the ingredients to aldente.

Meaning of the word aldente

During heat treatment, products undergo various degrees of readiness before they become fully prepared. What is aldente? Translated from Italian, the term means “by tooth” – when the product is not brought to readiness for several minutes, and when it is cracked, a click or a crunch is felt. In most cases, pasta is cooked to an aldente state, baked meat, vegetables, rice or legumes are cooked.

What is prepared in this way

This cookery was originally used exclusively by the cook for pasta. Today, aldente is cooked not only pasta, but also some types of cereals and vegetables. Before proceeding with the preparation of the selected product, the following recommendations should be considered:

1. You can save the crunch in vegetables if you immediately shift them from boiling water to cold, and place pieces of ice on top.
2. When cooking vegetables in water, you can not add salt, pepper, otherwise the products will become soft. Aldente need to season the dish when it is already on the plate.
3. When using fresh vegetables, they are boiled separately. To avoid such hassle, the mixture can be frozen – so the cooking time will equalize.
4. The cooking time for cereals depends on the variety, for example, brown and wild rice are boiled for about 40-60 minutes, short and long – 15-20 minutes.
5. The degree of readiness of rice should always be aldente, because there is a lot of starch in the grains and, if we exaggerate the cooking time, it will stand out in large quantities, which sticks the product together.
6. Aldente pasta is only pasta made from flour made from durum wheat. Domestic products are made from soft wheat, so when cooking such products swell, become sticky and soft.
7. Spaghetti aldente must be prepared in large quantities of water – 1 liter of liquid is required per 100 grams of dry product.
8. Cooking time for pasta to aldente depends on the width, thickness and size of the product. You need to focus on the information that is indicated on the package. Often the interval is an average of 7-13 minutes.

Aldente Recipes

How to cook a dish in this way should every housewife know. It is worth considering that for the first time, aldente food may seem undercooked, but later on you will be surprised at how you used to eat finished products. Consider the mouth-watering dishes in the photos below, and the recipes will tell you how to cook aldente pasta, rice porridge or vegetables.

Pasta aldente

• Time: 14 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 3 Persons.
• Calorie content: 311 kcal / 100 g.
• Purpose: for lunch / dinner.
• Cuisine: Italian.
• Difficulty: Easy.

There is nothing complicated in preparing pasta to the “tooth by tooth” state; the main thing here is to adhere to a certain sequence of actions and prepare suitable pasta – from durum wheat. To feed your household tasty, check out how to cook spaghetti correctly, and step-by-step instructions will help you get the same mouth-watering dish as in the photo.

Ingredients:

• paste – 0.5 kg;
• salt – 2 tbsp. l .;
• water – 5 l;
• olive oil or sauce to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Put water in a saucepan on the fire, after boiling, add salt to the liquid.
2. Constantly stirring the contents of the dishes, lay spaghetti. Continue the cooking process by slightly reducing the flame. Cooking pasta to aldente state is 2 minutes less than stated on the package.
3. Fold the paste in a colander, drain from the liquid. Remember that professional chefs categorically do not recommend washing pasta.
4. Return the product to the pan, season with sauce or pour olive oil. It turns out delicious if you serve aldenta pasta with vegetables cooked in the same way.

Vegetables

• Time: 15 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 3 Persons.
• Calorie content: 57 kcal / 100 g.
• Purpose: for lunch / dinner.
• Cuisine: Italian.
• Difficulty: Easy.

Fans of delicious food often experiment in search of an original dish, for example, many have already tried vegetable stew, prepared “by tooth”. The recipe involves the use of a minimum amount of ingredients, but if desired, you can add broccoli, green peas, cauliflower to the list. Check out recommendations for cooking aldente vegetables.

Ingredients:

• leek – 2 pcs.;
• zucchini – 2 pcs.;
• carrots – 2 pcs.;
• dry marjoram – 1 tsp;
• salt – 0.5 tsp;
• ground black pepper – 0.2 tsp;
• olive oil – 2 tbsp. l.

Cooking method:

1. Wash, cut each vegetable into pieces of the same size, the length of which will be about 10 cm, and the thickness is about 0.5-1 cm.
2. Heat the oil in a pan, fry the carrots until golden brown over high heat.
3. Put the leek, pass the vegetables for a minute, so that they all become soft.
4. Add zucchini and other foods as desired. Simmer for 2 minutes, without covering the container with anything, then extend the process for another 3 minutes, but with the lid closed.
5. Season the finished dish with marjoram, mix, arrange in portions. Season with salt and pepper. Properly prepared ingredients are soft on the inside and crispy on the outside..

Rice

• Time: 1 hour 45 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 8 Persons.
• Calorie content: 116 kcal.
• Purpose: for lunch / dinner.
• Cuisine: Japanese.
• Difficulty: Easy.

The puree consistency of boiled cereals is wrong. Experienced chefs argue that the degree of readiness of rice should always be aldente, especially if the grains are designed to prepare Japanese dishes, such as rolls. Learn some of the subtleties of cooking sushi cereals so that your homemade products are as beautiful as in the photo, and tastes little different from restaurant ones.

Ingredients:

• salt – 1 tsp;
• rice or fruit vinegar – 50 ml;
• round rice – 1 tbsp .;
• sugar – 1 tbsp. l .;
• water – 1.5 tbsp.

Cooking method:

1. Rinse the cereal in cold water until a cloudy precipitate disappears.
2. Discard product in a colander, drain liquid.
3. Spread the rice evenly on a towel or napkin, dry for an hour.
4. Pour water into a saucepan, send rice to the same place, put everything on medium heat, covering the dishes with a lid.
5. Immediately after boiling, reduce the flame to a minimum, cook the grains for 13-15 minutes.
6. Turn off the gas without opening the lid leave the rice to infuse for 15 minutes.
7. Dilute salt, sugar in vinegar.
8. Pour the marinade into the stewpan, gently turning the cereal over with a spatula. Allow rice to cool before using..