While it would make sense to follow the cooking directions listed on a package of pasta, Italians usually don’t.

If it's not tough and chewy, it's reduced to an unpalatable mush—there's certainly a fine art in cooking pasta perfectly al dente. And thanks to scientists and a surprising use of a particle ...

Andrea Scotti receives funding from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, and the Swedish Research Council. Whether you prefer your spaghetti al dente or soothingly soft, it can be difficult to ...