3 Italian dishes that Italians never eat
Say wine, snacks or haute cuisine and the gourmands at online food magazine FavorFlav know where to drink, how to eat it and what to cook. This time our cheffies serve you: Italian dishes that you would never get in Italy.
The caprese on a stick is a Dutch summer hit. And lasagna with spinach and salmon is almost a classic. And on a dreary day, there's nothing better than curling up on the couch with mac ’n cheese. Thank goodness we live in the Netherlands. Because in Italy, these dishes never make it to the table.
Did you think you had a beautiful Italian dish on the table? spaghetti bolognese Wrong, in Bologna they really never eat the famous sauce named after their city with spaghetti. Shocked? Hold on tight, there's much more fake-Italian coming to the table.
Never ever
We start simple. You really won't encounter these dishes in Italy. Spaghetti & meatballs? Mac and cheese? Just as Italian as it sounds. Moreover, this last American comfort food offends one of the most important principles of Italian cuisine: great attention to ingredients. The popular variant in the US comes from a box. Furthermore, there are many lasagnas in circulation that are not all equally Italian. With salmon, salami, or vegetables... the real Italian has meat and a thick layer of béchamel.
American pizzas and pastas
For pizzas with a crust like an air mattress, you need to go to Texas, not Naples. But where can you order a pasta alfredo? Well, not in Italy. The origin of Alfredo does lie in Italy. Chef Alfredo served the dish in Rome in his trattoria to two American Hollywood stars. They were ecstatic and took ‘Alfredo’ back to the US where the dish became popular. Italians do know a similar dish under the name ‘burro e parmigiano’. Butter and cheese, just what it is.
Mama's pasta
In most cases, it is the Americans who have hijacked Italian dishes. But we Dutch are not entirely innocent either. Pasta with chicken-pesto sauce, for example. Italians are not really into the combo of chicken and pasta. And being a bit creative with the Italian pasta di mama is not appreciated. If you experiment with the tiramisu (with limoncello, fruit, or amaretti) you can expect an acute rage attack from Italian chefs. That doesn't mean it doesn't result in very tasty dishes. Still, go ahead, but leave the Italians out of it.
