Since I’ve been living with this Italian family, I’ve learned that Italians eat pasta literally every single day. When I was asking them about it, they were telling me how some Italians even eat it twice a day…at lunch and at dinner. How are they not fat? It’s all about the portion. The amount of pasta they actually eat would be considered a tease to the average American. For example, during dinner one night my host mother made ¾ lb. of pasta for five people. In America we usually make 1 lb. for four people. Italians make just the right amount so that your appetite and taste buds are both satiated. Finally, Italians don’t drench the pasta in sauce. It’s just a little bit to add depth to the dish, but never taking away the flavor of the actual pasta. Although pasta is hands down my favorite food, the fear of simple carbs has been ingrained in my American mind and I don’t think I can ever fully give in to this custom.
Cultural Note: Why do Italians eat salad at the end of the meal? All other food comes first so that you eat it while it’s still hot. In the case of pasta, not only does it have to be eaten hot, but if you wait until after you eat the salad the pasta becomes sticky. There is complete logic behind all of the Italian culinary “rules.”
Impara con me! I learned how to say the phrase 'it's a gamble': è un terno al lotto.
