What You Won't See Italians Doing With Pasta At Dinner

Italian foodies are affectionately known as a nitpicky bunch. Marcella Hazan's tomato sauce may be delicious, but it is not everyone's nonna's recipe. American lasagna is different from the authentic lasagna recipes of Emilia-Romagna. Not to mention the many mistakes one could inadvertently make during a multi-course Italian dinner, including this one — ordering pasta as a side dish along with chicken or some other meat entrée. In the lengthy list of courses involved in an Italian dinner, pasta is served during the first course ("primi"), which takes place after the starter ("aperitivo" and "antipasti"), and before the meat course (second course or "secondi").

"In Italy, food is not mixed on one plate," Melissa Mastrianni-Oleary, the recipe writer behind Keeping It Simple Italian, explained to The Takeout. "Pasta is a primi (first course) because it is meant to be good enough to eat on its own, without mixing it with other food." As many food lovers around the world know, pasta is a significant part of Italian food culture. And like many Western European dining cultures that involve multiple courses, meals in Italy are meant to be a leisurely affair, where one is expected to enjoy each plate of food as it comes. The "primi" course often involves some kind of starch, like pasta or risotto, or soups, and they do not contain any meat beyond seafood.

The cultural significance of pasta in Italy cannot be overstated. Each pasta shape is significant to a certain province, designed in such a way to highlight the best produce and cooking techniques of the specific region. To simply relegate something of that much importance to a side dish would be tantamount to sacrilege. 

Additionally, the average American eats more meat than the average Italian. In Italy, starting meals with starches and soups helps keep meat in perspective as a more costly ingredient — encouraging diners to savor smaller portions rather than filling up on the protein first. While these rules about when to serve pasta may seem, well, nitpicky, they do have clear and logical reasons behind them — to ensure the eater has the absolute best experience and can savor the simple ingredients of Italy's most beloved dishes.

Static Media owns and operates Mashed and The Takeout.