No matter what kind of pasta dish you’re making, from pasta salad to a classic spaghetti carbonara, overcooking your pasta is the easiest way to ruin your meal. You may have heard of the term “al dente”, which literally translates as “to the tooth” in Italian. It’s the best descriptor of perfectly-cooked pasta, and everyone agrees that al dente pasta is the goal.

How to achieve al dente pasta though? Now that can get trickier. I trained in Italy, where I learned to cook pasta just until it was so al dente it was practically crunchy! My takeaway while there: Pay attention, keep a close eye, and listen to it—you’re sort of having a conversation with the pasta as it cooks.