Rant: I just realized I've been overcooking my pasta for like 15 years
So last Tuesday I'm making spaghetti for dinner, right, and I'm doing my usual thing of boiling it for the full 12 minutes on the box. My buddy Mike, who's a chef at this little place in Portland, walks in and sees me setting my timer and just laughs. He says 'dude, you're turning that into mush, pull it at 6 minutes and finish it in the sauce.' I thought he was crazy because I like my pasta soft, you know? But I tried it that night and the texture was way better, not all gloppy and swollen. I guess I grew up thinking al dente meant undercooked, but now I get it's about having some bite left. Has anyone else had that moment where they found out a basic cooking rule they thought was gospel was actually ruining their food?