RD.COM

10/05/23

READER'S DIGEST
12 Etiquette Mistakes Everyone Makes at Italian Restaurants.
di Emily Laurence

[OMISSIS]

Cutting spaghetti
If there's one Italian-restaurant etiquette mistake many Americans make, it's cutting their pasta. "According to Italian etiquette, spaghetti and fettuccine should not be cut with a knife into smaller pieces," says Alberto Presutti, a specialist in Italian and international hospitality codes of behavior who regularly holds training courses in Italy. Italian etiquette expert Elisa Motterle agrees, adding that it's also considered improper to use a spoon to twirl your pasta. "You should only use a fork to swirl your spaghetti," she says.

What to do instead: According to both Presutti and Motterle, the proper way to eat spaghetti or fettuccine is to use your fork to twirl it. "You should be able to twirl it up into a bite-size nest with no stray ends and lift it to your mouth," Motterle says. However, she does acknowledge that this can be tricky to master, so if you're really struggling to get just the proper amount on your fork to twirl, go ahead and use your spoon for an assist.

[OMISSIS]

Eating bread with pasta
There's nothing like warm, crusty Italian bread... but there's a right time and a wrong time to eat it. If you ask the waiter for a basket of bread to go with your pasta, that would be the latter. According to Motterle, bread should not be eaten with other starchy foods, like risotto or pasta. And check out this interesting food fact: Presutti says garlic bread and buttered bread sticks are not commonly served in Italy; these are American foods, not Italian. Who knew?!

What to do instead: If you go to an Italian restaurant and a bread basket is placed on the table, eat it with your soup or salad, says etiquette expert Jules Martinez Hirst, co-author of The Power of Civility. Or, if you ordered an entrée that isn't starch-based, you can also enjoy your bread along with your main course.

[OMISSIS]

Adding shredded Parmesan to seafood dishes
Curious if asking for more cheese is rude? Presutti and Motterle say it isn't, but it does matter what you want to put it on. "Italians love to sprinkle Parmesan on pasta, especially on spaghetti and fettuccine," Presutti says. "Even in restaurants, Parmesan is brought to the table in the cheese bowl so you can use it in the quantity you need." But Motterle explains that it's not meant to be used in anything with seafood, such as spaghetti with clams; it takes away from how the dish is supposed to taste.

What to do instead: If your meal is seafood-free, go ahead and ask for shredded Parmesan if you want it. "Asking for extra Parmesan is not rude as long as you do not overuse the cheese," Motterle says. "Parmesan has a strong flavor and might conceal other flavors present in your dish."

While it's a definite Italian-restaurant etiquette mistake to add cheese to a seafood dish, it's OK to add salt and pepper, if you'd like. This is because these ingredients are very likely already incorporated into your seafood dish, unlike cheese.

[OMISSIS]

Getting a cappuccino with your main course
Yes, cappuccinos are popular in Italy, but Presutti says that they aren't typically sipped with an Italian dinner. "Cappuccinos are drunk during breakfast," he says. Motterle agrees, saying, "Cappuccinos are more of a snack in our view, so it's OK to have one in the morning, maybe with a croissant. Some people might enjoy it mid-afternoon as a pick-me-up, but we'd never eat a proper meal while sipping cappuccino." Here in America, however, it isn't uncommon to see cappuccinos on the menu at an Italian restaurant, but don't order one with your dinner.

What to do instead: If you want to have a cappuccino, wait until dessert. The flavors will pair much better with sweet treats than savory entrées, anyway.