How To Eat Spaghetti
How to Eat Spaghetti
Like Italians Do!
How to eat spaghetti justa lik-a de Italians a do. Toss out those spoons and bibs and don't even think about using a knife or Mama's a gonna cracka da wooden spoon over your heada!
Yes there is a right way to eat pasta and a wrong way.
DON'TS OF EATING PASTA:
The days of spinning your pasta on a fork in a spoon are OVER. You never see pasta being served in Italy with a spoon unless it's an Italian Pasta Soup!
Don't even think about cutting the spaghetti. My Father would turn over in his grave. It is almost always looked down on if you take a knife to your spaghetti or long pasta shapes Angel hair or bucatini.!
Loose the bibs. You can't look like a kid when you're eating spaghetti. Unless of course you are a kid. So the rule of thumb is if you need a bid to eat food in general then you need a bib for spaghetti.
No Slurping! Spaghetti is not a slurpie so please don't slurp the spaghetti into your mouth.
DOES OF EATING PASTA:
How to eat spaghetti, the right way.
Firstly, if you serve the spaghetti in a shallow, wide bowl. In Italy they call this a piatto fondo or deep dish. The rims of the bowl should be just enough to spin your fork against.
Put smaller portions of spaghetti on your fork before you start to twirl. If the portion is getting too large as you twirl your spaghetti, start over with a smaller portion so the amount spun on the fork is a bite sized portion.
If you spin the right portion you avoid the need to slurp and the need for a bib.
Do keep a napkin in your free hand to touch up your face from any extra sauce. Especially if you're on a date!
Of course there is usually a pool of sauce left in your plate. In Italy they have a term called la scrapa. To scrap the bowl and it is a compliment to do so. So grab a thick piece of crusty Italian bread and La Scrapa!
HOW TO EAT LARGE PASTA:
Serving a Rigatoni or large shells for dinner? This is always a great idea if you are cooking pasta for a crowd. Not only is it easier to serve and eat but it will spare the embarrassment of your guests who have not read this page
:o)
If you are serving a large pasta shape it is perfectly fine to use your fork to cut the pasta into a bite size pieces.
CHEESE OR NO CHEESE? THAT IS THE QUESTION:
Parmigiano is a tradition on most Italian dinner tables. Especially if pasta is involved.
Pecorino is another hard cheese also served with pasta in certain dishes that have a salty or bolder flavor such as a some meat sauces or my soon to famous puttanesca pasta recipe.
But never, and I mean NEVER, put cheese on any pasta recipe with fish. Using cheese on a shrimp and pasta or seafood pasta recipes.
It is considered an insult or an insinuation that the fish or seafood is not fresh and you are trying to cover up the flavor.
Now you know how to eat spaghetti the Italian way your ready to hit the streets of Italy or your favorite Italian restaurant with confidence.