The Pasta-Eating Mistake That Screams Tourist When Visiting Italy

You've spent months planning your dream vacation in Italy. You've booked quaint hotels and have read all the blog posts about what to expect at a typical Italian meal. You religiously follow travel guru Rick Steves, so you know what he says to avoid when eating in Italy and what types of restaurants offer the most authentic dining experiences. After all that research and hours on the internet, you've finally made it to the boot-shaped country. You're eating a delicious cacio e pepe, but you feel people are staring at you. Is there pasta stuck in your teeth, or is there sauce dribbling down your chin? Before you head to the bathroom to check the mirror for the embarrassing culprit, take a look at how you're eating your pasta. If you're using a knife or cutting it into smaller pieces, you're doing it wrong, as Italian cultural expert Alberto Presutti told Reader's Digest.

What's wrong with using a knife, you may ask? Aren't bite-sized pieces easier to eat and less messy? The simple answer is no, as long as you know how to eat like a local. Italians take their traditions — and their food — seriously, so it's in your best interest to avoid this seemingly small faux pas. Cutting spaghetti with a knife is fine for children, but adults in Italy and, by extension, visitors are expected to eat and enjoy pasta the proper way.

The misstep of cutting pasta begins with the cooking process. Long strands of pasta are meant to stay that way for a reason. In Italian culinary tradition, the longer strands are intended to interact with the sauce in a way that preserves the texture and maximizes the flavor by allowing the sauce to better adhere to the pasta. Breaking the strands is like breaking tradition — don't fix what isn't broken. How the pasta is cooked is exactly how it's intended to be eaten, which, in the case of long pastas, is twirled around a fork. This method not only adds elegance and ensures the pasta-to-sauce ratio is balanced, but also enhances the pleasure of eating pasta in the Italian tradition.

So, what's the proper twirling technique?  First, carefully observe the bowl of pasta in front of you and resist the temptation to dig into the thickest part in the middle of the bowl. Instead, locate two to four strands near the edge and twirl until coiled neatly around your fork. Try your best to avoid a long strand dangling from your fork, as this would require slurping or cutting it with your teeth, allowing the remainder to drop back into your bowl. If it doesn't work the first time, try again. Remember, dinner in Italy can last hours, so you can take your time and have another sip of wine.

The other burning question is whether or not to use a spoon, to which the answer is: it depends. Some sources, including the book "Galateo," believe that using a spoon to assist with pasta is poor manners. Others say it's okay to use a spoon and that the method is still common with older people. Spoon or no spoon, make sure to never break your spaghetti.