Every culture has their own way of enjoying and eating pasta but who’s to say that there is a wrong or right way? Italy is, of course! Italians eat pasta as if it’s a sacred moment so let’s take a closer look at how best to eat this famous food in Italy!
If you are coming to Italy and wondering if you will get clobbered on the head for cutting your pasta with a knife and fork the short answer is no, you won’t BUT there are consequences!
Living in Italy since 2012 has given me first hand knowledge and experience in terms of Italian eating etiquette, do’s and don’t and when and when not when it comes to Italian food.
While it’s not ‘illegal’ to cut your pasta in Italy, let’s take a look at what will happen if you decide to do so while visiting.
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Is It Illegal To Cut Pasta In Italy?
Italians take their pasta eating etiquette to a whole new level and while you won’t be thrown in jail for cutting your pasta in Italy, you can be sure you are going to get the stink eye or at least an eye roll. Note that this doesn’t apply to cutting large pasta like ravioli!
No one is going to kick you out of their restaurant but they aren’t going to facilitate your unapproved pasta requests such as a spoon, knife (unless you are eating with kids), extra bread, or cheese on seafood pasta.
But guess what? Italians do sometimes eat their pizza with a knife and fork! Read more in How Do Italians Eat Pizza? and Do Italians Eat Pizza With A Fork?
Get Ready: If you’re planning a trip to Italy and will be spending some serious time eating pasta, check out
Best Cities in Italy for Foodies
Famous Italian Pasta Dishes
Italy’s Best Pasta Sauces
How Italians Eat Pasta In Italy
So, how do Italians eat their pasta then? There is really only one way: with a fork. No knife. No spoon.
Italians eat pasta with just a fork and perhaps a crust of bread for mopping up the pasta sauce left on your plate at the end.
Italians will either twirl their spaghetti or long pasta such as tagliatelle or pappardelle or they will just fork a couple pieces of pasta onto their fork and eat it. That’s it.
Other Italian Pasta Etiquette
You can be sure that Italian pasta Do’s and Don’t go way beyond cutting or rather, NOT cutting pasta. Be sure to keep these other rules in mind when eating pasta on your next trip to Italy.
Italians Don’t Break Their Pasta
Italians generally don’t break their pasta when cooking it. There is one exception to this, which you can read about in Is it Illegal to Break Pasta in Italy.
To read more about cooking pasta correctly, check out What Does ‘al Dente’ Mean? and How To Cook Pasta Like an Italian – Step-by-Step.
Italians Don’t Twirl Their Pasta With A Spoon
You will never see an Italian twirling their pasta with a spoon and fork. They will simply pull out a couple strands of pasta and gently twirl it on the side of their place. Avoid stabbing your fork into the middle of your pasta mound and trying to twirl – it just won’t work!
Italians Don’t Slurp Their Pasta
Italians will never slurp dangling spaghetti from a fork. As a tourist, I suggest you don’t do this either if you are at a restaurant in Italy. It’s simply poor eating etiquette.
Italians Don’t Put Cheese On Their Seafood Pasta
Italians love Parmigiano cheese on their pasta EXCEPT for a couple of dishes such as with fresh seafood. If you have ordered some fresh seafood pasta on the coast, don’t bother asking for cheese, you just won’t get it!
Italians Don’t Eat Bread With Their Pasta
Italians won’t eat bread or garlic bread with their pasta. At most, they will use a crust of bread to mop up the sauce left on their plate. Bread is typically served with appetizers and main courses. This may also have something to do with why Italians manage to stay fit and eat so much pasta at the same time!
Do you enjoy making and eating Italian pasta? If so, check out these recipes:
Orecchiette Pasta Recipe
Pici Pasta Recipe – How To Make Tuscany’s Hand Rolled Spaghetti
Tagliatelle Recipe + How to Pronounce It
Cacio e Pepe Recipe – Pronounce it and Make it Like an Italian (+ Audio)
Fresh Pomodoro Sauce Recipe – An Italian Summer Tradition
Pomodoro Sauce Recipe – Made With Canned Tomatoes
Creamy Kale Pasta Recipe
Italian Kale Pesto Recipe
Aglione Sauce Recipe
Pappardelle alla Boscaiola Recipe
