Pasta is adored around the world but Italians are wary about eating it outside of Italy for many reasons. Many times the rest of us non-Italians do it quite wrong. One of the worst stories I’ve heard was actually a news story here that read “American students set fire to apartment, cooking pasta without water”. That wasn’t very good for America’s pasta cooking reputation. *face palm*
Check out this quiz and see if you could cook pasta for nonna and survive…
Results
Author: Ali @ Sustainable PsycheMy name is Ali. I am an American living in Italy. I am passionate about delicious food that is also ethical, healthy and sustainable. I love pasta and pizza, traveling, horseback riding and exploring the vibrant city of Milan that I call home.
Author: Ali @ Sustainable PsycheMy name is Ali. I am an American living in Italy. I am passionate about delicious food that is also ethical, healthy and sustainable. I love pasta and pizza, traveling, horseback riding and exploring the vibrant city of Milan that I call home. 
 #1. Italians eat their pasta first and salad secondIt’s quite normal to eat your pasta or first course and then salad after.
Author: Ali @ Sustainable PsycheMy name is Ali. I am an American living in Italy. I am passionate about delicious food that is also ethical, healthy and sustainable. I love pasta and pizza, traveling, horseback riding and exploring the vibrant city of Milan that I call home.  #2. Fettuccine Alfredo is ItalianIt may be a popular American dish, but you won’t find it in Italy.
Author: Ali @ Sustainable PsycheMy name is Ali. I am an American living in Italy. I am passionate about delicious food that is also ethical, healthy and sustainable. I love pasta and pizza, traveling, horseback riding and exploring the vibrant city of Milan that I call home.  #3. Every type of pasta pairs with a certain kind of sauceYes. For example: Bucatini with Amatriciana Trofie with Pesto Orecchiette with broccolini Tagliatelle with Ragù Tortellini in broth Each pasta has it’s perfect match.
Author: Ali @ Sustainable PsycheMy name is Ali. I am an American living in Italy. I am passionate about delicious food that is also ethical, healthy and sustainable. I love pasta and pizza, traveling, horseback riding and exploring the vibrant city of Milan that I call home.  #4. ‘Al dente’ means still firm on the inside ( & is the correct way to cook pasta)Directly translated: ” to the tooth” means that pasta is cooked on the outside yet still has some bite to it on the inside. Overcooked pasta in Italy is almost a crime.
Author: Ali @ Sustainable PsycheMy name is Ali. I am an American living in Italy. I am passionate about delicious food that is also ethical, healthy and sustainable. I love pasta and pizza, traveling, horseback riding and exploring the vibrant city of Milan that I call home.  #5. Add sea salt when the water boilsYou don’t have to add a lot, but just enough to keep your pasta from being too bland ( at least for the Italian palette)
Author: Ali @ Sustainable PsycheMy name is Ali. I am an American living in Italy. I am passionate about delicious food that is also ethical, healthy and sustainable. I love pasta and pizza, traveling, horseback riding and exploring the vibrant city of Milan that I call home.  #6. Spaghetti, yes. Meatballs, yes. But they don’t go together.Spaghetti is a loved pasta here, and common in first courses. And polpette or meatballs are a second course thing. You won’t find them mixed together on the same plate.
Author: Ali @ Sustainable PsycheMy name is Ali. I am an American living in Italy. I am passionate about delicious food that is also ethical, healthy and sustainable. I love pasta and pizza, traveling, horseback riding and exploring the vibrant city of Milan that I call home.  #7. Add olive oil to the water to avoid sticky pastaTotally not necessary and a waste of your olive oil!
Author: Ali @ Sustainable PsycheMy name is Ali. I am an American living in Italy. I am passionate about delicious food that is also ethical, healthy and sustainable. I love pasta and pizza, traveling, horseback riding and exploring the vibrant city of Milan that I call home.  #8. Italians use bread to finish any excess sauce from their platesAbsolutely. It’s a must to use your bread or ‘Fare la scarpetta’ to soak up and enjoy all the delicious sauce.
Author: Ali @ Sustainable PsycheMy name is Ali. I am an American living in Italy. I am passionate about delicious food that is also ethical, healthy and sustainable. I love pasta and pizza, traveling, horseback riding and exploring the vibrant city of Milan that I call home.  #9. Always rinse pasta after straining.Rinsing pasta, rinses away starches that help the sauces to bind to it.
Author: Ali @ Sustainable PsycheMy name is Ali. I am an American living in Italy. I am passionate about delicious food that is also ethical, healthy and sustainable. I love pasta and pizza, traveling, horseback riding and exploring the vibrant city of Milan that I call home.  #10. Sauce shouldn’t be poured directly onto pastaSauces should be either cooked from scratch in a pan or added to a pan and heated before adding the pasta. Simmer until the sauce has thickened, perfectly coating the pasta.
Author: Ali @ Sustainable PsycheMy name is Ali. I am an American living in Italy. I am passionate about delicious food that is also ethical, healthy and sustainable. I love pasta and pizza, traveling, horseback riding and exploring the vibrant city of Milan that I call home. |
Author: Ali @ Sustainable Psyche
My name is Ali. I am an American living in Italy. I am passionate about delicious food that is also ethical, healthy and sustainable. I love pasta and pizza, traveling, horseback riding and exploring the vibrant city of Milan that I call home.
