Don't Commit This Cardinal Sin Of Food Ordering At A Restaurant In Italy

Do you remember that episode of "The Sopranos" where the main characters go to Italy to reconnect with their heritage, only to find that they're a bunch of hopelessly adrift Americans who can barely order pasta without making a fool of themselves? We're sure you, our esteemed reader, carry yourself with more grace than "Paulie Walnuts," but it's true that some customs and rituals of Italian-American restaurants really aren't a thing back in the old country. For example, Italians don't dip their bread in oil before a meal, but that's not all. Few — unless you're a tourist — order pasta as a side dish, either. 

We talked to Melissa Mastrianni-Oleary, the recipe writer behind Keeping It Simple Italian, and she told us that ordering pasta as a side in Italy is seen as, if not a total faux pas, then definitely somewhat strange. "In Italy, food is not mixed on one plate," she said. "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." In general, Italians treat dining as a slow, leisurely experience, which means there's plenty of time to enjoy your pasta as a course in its own right — not presented as a side for you to quickly shovel down.

While ordering pasta as a side is considered a faux pas in Italy, chances are, nobody will kick you out of a restaurant. According to Melissa Mastrianni-Oleary, many chefs will even accommodate tourists. "In fact, when they notice you are not Italian, they will ask you what order you want your food to come out," she said. Mastrianni-Oleary adds that "it is also traditional to not serve [pasta] with anything else other than sauce" — so if you're looking to enjoy some meatballs or chicken parmesan with your pasta, you're probably out of luck.

As a rule, Mastrianni-Oleary suggests doing as the Romans do, whether or not you're actually in Rome. "Lots of love and effort go into making a pasta dish in Italy, even if it seems simple in ingredients," she said. "Those flavors are meant to be enjoyed on their own." Whether you're eating the once-illegal pasta now beloved by Italian chefs or the obscure pasta dish featured on "Pasta Grannies," it's an important tip to keep in mind.