"Jean B." > ha scritto nel messaggio
...
> My daughter and I ate in Boston yesterday. My entree was a lovely pasta
> dish with lots of roasted veggies. The pasta had a really nice chewy
> texture--this was not just a normal (in the US) pasta cooked al dente. Is
> this texture typical of some brands? Any clue as to what it might be, so
> I can enjoy this at home?
> --
> Jean B.

Just bite your pasta a minute or so before the cooking time says. It may be
what you are looking for. Look for a microscopic line or dot of white in
the center. That's real al dente. Many people are pleasantly shocked when
they find out what it really is, and many hate it.

If making it at home, use hard wheat flour to get a firmer bite, and stretch
as you knead instead of pressing.