Whether dealing with coeliac disease, gluten intolerance or just tummy troubles, many Americans swear their digestive issues mysteriously ease up when they travel to Europe, the supposed land of consequence-free carbs.

While some of that likely comes down to portion size and wheat quality, another often-overlooked factor is how the pasta is cooked. You’d never catch an Italian cooking their pasta beyond al dente – and sometimes, it’s even a little firmer than that.

According to Marissa Karp, founder and lead registered dietitian at MPM Nutrition in New York, the longer pasta cooks, the more its starches soften and become available to our bodies when we eat it. But more isn’t always better.

How long pasta is cooked can affect how quickly it’s digested, how quickly it raises blood sugar and how you feel after the meal – from steady and satisfied to heavy and ready for a nap.

Ahead, registered dietitians break down the different levels of pasta doneness, what noodles look and feel like at each stage, and how each one affects digestion, energy and blood sugar.

Defined as two or three minutes less cook time than the package instructions, “firm” pasta sits at the very beginning of the doneness spectrum. Go ahead and ignore the box here – your spaghetti won’t be raw, but it will have more texture than most Americans are used to.

“Firm pasta has the most bite to it,” Karp said. “There’s clear resistance when you press it between your teeth.”

When pasta is cooked a little firmer, your body takes longer to digest it. That means a bowl of penne won’t spike your blood sugar as quickly, according to Kimberly Rose, registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator.

That slower blood sugar spike can make a noticeable difference in how you feel afterward. Instead of the classic post-pasta slump – heavy, sleepy and weirdly hungry again an hour later – you’re more likely to feel steady and satisfied. And taking that second helping is because the pasta is genuinely delicious, not because the first bowl barely made a dent in your hunger. “Firmer pasta tends to break down more slowly, which can help people feel satisfied for longer and support steadier blood sugar when eaten in appropriate portions,” said Amanda Frankeny, a registered dietitian nutritionist.

If you’re trying to keep your blood sugar steady or you’re tired of that familiar post-pasta slump, cooking pasta a bit firmer may be worth a try. Just know that if you have a more sensitive stomach, this texture isn’t always the most comfortable.

In the food world, al dente has become the default way to cook pasta, much like ordering a steak medium-rare or scrambling eggs until they’re just set, not dry.

To get there, you’ll usually want to ignore the package instructions again and pull your pasta from the water about one to two minutes earlier than the package states. (If you’ve been faithfully following the box this whole time, there’s a good chance you’ve been eating softer, mushier pasta than you realised.)

Al dente is the Goldilocks texture most of us are taught to aim for: not too firm, not too soft.

“Al dente tends to be the most comfortable because it digests at a steady pace and tends to offer balanced, sustained energy,” Karp said.

That aligns with research. A 2022 study found that when pasta is cooked for less time, your body breaks down less of its starch, leading to a slower, steadier rise in blood sugar.

While “chewing your food well” has become a diet-culture cliche, 2023 research suggests the real driver is food texture. Foods that require more chewing tend to trigger stronger satiety signals, simply because digestion starts earlier and happens more gradually.

Most of us likely cook pasta to this doneness not only because it has a pleasant mouthfeel but because it’s often easier on the body.

“Digestion begins in the mouth,” explains Rose, “and soft pasta is fastest to digest.” That’s because soft pasta requires minimal chewing. With almost no resistance for your teeth, it moves quickly from the plate to the stomach, where it’s broken down faster than firmer noodles.

That might sound counterintuitive, but research on food texture backs this up: foods that are soft and easy to chew don’t tend to keep us as full as foods that make us do a little more work. When you have to chew more, you also tend to eat more slowly, which gives your body (and gastrointestinal fluids) time to register that you’re eating.

Typically cooked to the package instructions or even a little longer, soft pasta has no bite left at the centre. This can also happen when pasta is cooked and then baked or reheated in dishes like casseroles or mac and cheese, where a second round of cooking pushes it past al dente.

That quicker breakdown is also why soft pasta is often blamed for the classic carb crash. According to Rose, “Soft pasta will raise your energy levels quickly because more starch is readily available; however, this type of energy is short-lived and may result in a drop in energy after consuming.”

When pasta is overcooked, a few things change the way your body handles it, according to a 2015 study. First, the starches become more broken down and easier to access, which means the carbs hit your system faster – giving you that quick burst of energy, followed by a drop. At the same time, the structure of both starch and protein in the pasta softens, which makes it harder for your body to digest and can lead to bloating or an upset stomach after eating.

Still, soft pasta absolutely has a place at the table. For people who have trouble chewing, sensitive digestion or who need quick, easily accessible energy, it can be a great option. According to Frankeny, “That’s not a bad thing at all. Depending on how active you are, how much you are eating and everything else is on the plate – like produce and protein – softer pasta can easily be a part of a well-rounded meal.”