Al dente or well done? How the eating rate of a pasta dish can be predicted by the eating rate of its components

•Softer components led to higher eating rates due to fewer chews and larger bite sizes.•Sauce addition increased eating rate by decreasing the number of chews and increasing bite size.•The eating rates of components cumulatively determined the eating rate of a composite dish.•The eating rate of a dish could be predicted from the eating rate of its components.