Whether dealing with celiac 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 ,