There are so many misconceptions about Italian cooking here in the states, almost too many to mention. If you want to prepare an authentic Italian meal at home, you should buy the freshest ingredients possible, and you should be ready to follow the rules that follow. If you are seeking a truly authentic Italian meal prepared for you in true Italian fashion, then a visit to restaurant row Orlando will bring you to the only Italian restaurant you need to visit: Christini’s Ristorante Italiano.
So, here’s a list of the top ten rules when planning, cooking, serving, or enjoying an Italian meal:
- Never, ever, under any circumstances add oil or butter to the water you will be cooking pasta in. The starches released in the cooking process help the sauce cling to the pasta. Don’t ruin it by coating it with oil.
- Do not serve pasta or risotto as your main dish. In Italian homes, pasta or risotto are served as a course unto themselves, usually between the antipasto and meat dish.
- Hold back on the garlic. Contrary to popular belief, Italians do not add huge amounts of garlic to their food.
- Bolognese sauce is never served over spaghetti. Tagliatelle is the preferred pasta to be paired with this very popular Italian sauce.
- Substituting meat with chicken is not acceptable in Italy when preparing pasta dishes. While you may find chicken in a cold pasta salad, a hot pasta dish never incorporates chicken.
- Fettucine Alfredo, while popular on this side of the Atlantic, is not considered traditional Italian fare. While he created this dish of noodles, butter, and Parmesan cheese at his restaurant in Rome, Alfredo Di Lelio certainly never anticipated its celebrity in the Americas.
- Authentic Italian seafood dishes are not covered with grated cheese. Although the thoughts on this savory addition to seafood dishes are changing with the foodie revolution, true Italian cooks will never add grated cheese to their culinary offerings.
- Don’t serve bread with butter if you wish to remain true Italian. A fine extra-virgin olive oil for dipping is acceptable, and don’t serve bread as an appetizer.
- Wine or water is the beverage of choice to accompany a fine Italian meal. Soda is not a frequent visitor at an Italian table.
- When preparing a salad, make a simple vinaigrette of oil and lemon, or oil and red wine vinegar to dress it. Italians do not favor heavy dressings.
By the way, the red and white checked tablecloth is not a tradition in Italy. Most restaurants feature crisp white linens and a warm ambiance to welcome you. Visit us at Christini’s Ristorante Italiano on restaurant row Orlando and embrace the true Italy. Make your reservations by calling us.
