The Great Pasta Debate:Is It Illegal To Break Pasta In Italy 

Pasta. The very mention of its name can excite us, children and adults alike. And then, the good part is that this recipe only demands a little before it lands on your plate. The cooking time is short, and you will spend less than hours before your stove stirring. 

Yet, when done correctly, you can be sure of an aroma that fills the room with a whiff, making your home feel more like a continental eatery to get the kids and everyone all excited. 

For this reason, pasta is one of the best dishes you can think of when entertaining, but there are rules to follow, one of which is that you can’t break the pasta. 

Is it illegal to break pasta in Italy? Of course, they won’t send you to jail but read on, and you will want to follow them. 

What Is Pasta?

Pasta is nothing but dough made from wheat and stamped into different shapes to be served with sauce and other vegetables. This dish is often associated with Italian cuisine as it first originated there. 

However, it is enjoyed in different parts of the world today. The five main types include spaghetti, lasagna, rivoli, penne and linguine. 

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How Should You Eat Pasta The Right Way In Italy?

See, it is not rocket science. The first rule is that you use the fork and then make sure that you do not cut it (more on this later)

And then, when it is on your table, there is a particular way you should eat it, which we will also tell you about later, along with why you should be eating it that way, unlike how you have perhaps till now been eating it. 

All this is so that you enjoy your pasta better and look more refined when you eat it. 

Why Do Italians Not Break Pasta?

Of course, breaking pasta makes it easier to cook without giving you pieces that stick to the dish, but for Italians, pasta is more of a tradition, where the pasta is twirled till it wraps around the fork. 

Unlike most of the rest of the world, Italians enjoy pasta by entangling it to their fork, cutting it with their teeth. This is the best way to enjoy pasta, as it absorbs all the sauce, which does not drip. 

Why Is It Illegal To Break Pasta In Italy?

Is it illegal to break pasta in Italy? Okay, no one will send you to jail for this, but you will have people laughing at you if this is how you are serving pasta in Italy.

It’s alright if it’s a simple meal with your family, but not a very good idea when you decide to entertain guests over dinner in Italy. Etiquette matters significantly in Italy, where people don’t like cutting pasta with their teeth. 

How To Cook Pasta Like An Italian?

We all love a nice hot plate of Italian pasta. Still, sadly, we need to learn how to enjoy it the Italian way, mixing it with herbs and spices from our kitchen shelves rather than the ones usually used in Italian cuisine. 

Remember that this is one dish that is simple and easy to make. Boil, stir, add the sauce and the herbs, and you are ready.

And this is how you make authentic Italian pasta. Avoid frying and cooking it with many vegetables; pasta is best when dripping with sauce and mixed with fresh vegetables. 

Tips For Cooking Pasta Like A Real Italian

Remember that the salt goes into the boiling water. Please do not wait to add it in the end. Water first, salt next and pasta last. That is the correct order. The kind of salt you use also matters here. If you can afford rock salt, nothing like it. 

And then, the quantity also matters. One tablespoon of salt for every four liters of water. That is how it goes. Seasoning happens once the pasta is out of the pot and drained. You can prepare the sauce when the pasta is boiling in the pot. 

Remember, no oil. Pasta is not meant to be fried. Implement all of the above, and you will cook pasta like an authentic Italian. 

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Is it illegal to break pasta in Italy( FAQ)

Okay, so before you go, let’s look at a few FAQs. 

How much salt do I put in pasta water?

As we saw above, you use one tablespoon of salt (preferably rock salt) for every four liters of water. This is irrespective of the kind of pasta you are cooking. 

And then, you will add a tablespoon of salt to the vegetables as they cook, so all this put together will give your pasta just the right amount of salt consistency. 

Do Italian People Cut Their Pasta?

Italians never cut their pasta, not on the kitchen counter or the plate.

Italians twirl their pasta around their fork and then enjoy it just as one is meant to enjoy a spoonful of pasta, sumptuous with all the right amount of sauce dripping from it. 

And it makes you look more sophisticated at the dinner table, too, than the rest of us known for awkwardly cutting our pasta at our mouths. 

Are there pasta laws in Italy

Yes, and that is only keeping in mind the health of the people in Italy

So, pasta in Italy is mainly made from durum wheat (in other words, semolina), so you can be sure that in Italy, you are eating pasta of a more healthy quality, unlike pasts in a lot of other areas of the world that uses unhealthy flour, making the entire meal sick. 

Conclusion

So, that’s about pasta, the sophisticated and healthy meal not to be enjoyed only in Italy. You can have it the healthy way, or you can have it the unhealthy habit. 

You can have it like an Italian or make it your way if you find it more tasty. Add all the right boiled veggies or tweak the recipe to suit your taste buds. 

Is it illegal to break pasta in Italy? No, you can cut it to make eating easy or eat it stylishly by twirling it around your fork. 

See, there are no pasta rules, be it in your country or Italy. Once the item is on your kitchen counter, how you want to cook and enjoy it is yours to choose as long as you enjoy this dish.