Most of the time people traveling to Italy realize the differences only when they get there. Back home of course we can still keep eating ‘Italian’ the way we are used to. Nevertheless I think it’s quite interesting and at times amusing to find out that, those things we have considered to be so authentic Italian, people in Italy have never even heard of ;)<\/span><\/p>\n 1. Pasta \u2013 al dente or not al dente?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n Entire chapters can be written about pasta! After having eaten overcooked pasta over and over again, especially abroad, I would say that the biggest sin about pasta is probably overcooking it. Not only doesn’t it taste well, overcooked pasta is also harder to digest.<\/span><\/p>\n Even Barilla, being the biggest exporting brand of pasta ‘encourages’ (e.g. the packages sold in the US) indirectly to overcook it by stating a time frame as cooking time, instead of one exact time.<\/span><\/p>\n Have you ever seen or heard about the trick as to how to check if the pasta is ready to be eaten, by throwing one spaghetti against the wall? I wonder who invented that :)) And if it sticks on it, apparently it’s done! Ok, so now I would dare to add a little side note: When the pasta truly sticks on the wall like glue, it is not <\/i>ready. But it is way overcooked. ;) Ok, seriously, set the timer, with the correct cooking time (if a time frame is given on the package, make sure to consider the shortest cooking time), and the pasta will be fine.<\/span><\/p>\n And, last advice: It’s very important that the water boils first<\/em>, before throwing the pasta inside!<\/span><\/p>\n 2. Which pasta sauces and salad seasonings are the biggest “crimes”?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Cream, ketchup and salad dressings.<\/span><\/p>\n The only thing that ketchup has in common with a tomato sauce is the tomato itself. As far as the cream is concerned, there is only one dish that I can think of that comes with it. And that is pasta with salmon. <\/span><\/p>\n For whatever reason (e.g. in Germany) they put cream in almost every pasta dish. Often in such big quantities that you literally need to fish<\/i> the pasta out of the plate. Especially in the Carbonara <\/i>and the Lasagne.<\/i> And then people say that pasta makes you gain weight.. No wonder. It’s the sauce that makes the difference! Isn’t that actually great news? I promise, the dish will still taste delicious, and<\/em> it will be so much healthier and lighter!<\/span><\/p>\n While the salads are served with a light vinaigrette style dressing only. In other words, olive oil, vinegar, salt and a few herbs such as oregano is what is mostly used to season a salad.<\/span><\/p>\n 3. Do Italians really eat pasta every day?<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n The answer is yes<\/em>. They do. Of course busy schedules and younger generations open up the doors for other alternatives. Fact is, that Italians can be very picky and traditional about their food habits. For most Italians pasta is still a <\/span>mandatory <\/i>meal that can be neither replaced nor skipped for no reason.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n I have been asked this question with misbelief. I assume it’s because people think that all we eat is pasta with tomato sauce and one or two other ones. Day in day out. Believe me, I would get bored with that menu after two days! Pasta is eaten with vegetables, meat, fish and so many other things. It can come in so many variations, that I would dare to say to be enough to eat a different pasta dish for almost every single day of the year!<\/span><\/p>\n Oh, btw, one of the few combinations I have never seen before is pasta with chicken. I can’t think of any Italian dish that combines these two ingredients.<\/span><\/p>\n 4. Do pasta shapes really matter?<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/b> 5. <\/strong><\/span>Is pasta a starter, a main or a side dish?<\/b><\/p>\n Oh, I haven’t seen more confusion and debates than this one! Actually it’s very simple to remember: There are two main dishes in Italy: pasta and risotto. They are not a starter, and not a side, either. I don’t blame anyone for getting confused if even some Italian restaurants abroad display it wrongly on their menus, pretending to serve authentic<\/i> Italian cuisine.<\/span><\/p>\n And, being a main dish, it is served by itself, only. No bread, no salad.<\/span><\/p>\n 6. Who is Alfredo?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n When my husband’s nephew asked me whether I could make some chicken Alfredo for him, I told him that I had no idea what that was.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"pasta](\"http:\/\/mediterranealicious.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/pasta-mix-2.jpg\")
<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>I could see a big astonishment on people’s faces, including my husband’s, when I told them how ‘important’ it is not to combine the ‘wrong’<\/i> pasta shape with the ‘wrong’<\/i> sauce! :)) Didn’t I already mention how picky we can be about food? ;) Although all shapes consist of the main ingredients and they do taste the same (ok, sort of), it really does<\/i> make a big difference! For instance you don’t wanna eat spaghetti with beans, or the tiny little shaped ones (e.g. risoni) with a tomato sauce. So, why not? Well, it just doesn’t match! :) And, on top of that, certain pasta shapes do<\/em> make a difference. For instance, striped pasta like rigatoni goes very well with rich (tomato) sauces. Thanks to its stripes the sauce is more likely to stick to the pasta.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a><\/span>Well, I got introduced to Alfredo during my visits in the US. It was impossible to overlook ‘him’. I learned that Alfredo comes in all kind of versions: chicken Alfredo, Alfredo sauce, Fettuccine Alfredo, etc. And I kept wondering: Who is<\/em> <\/i>Alfredo?!<\/p>\n