Americanized Italian

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I love Italian food.  Adore it.  Crave it.  Pine for it.  When I say Italian food, of course I'm speaking of the Americanized version of it.  When I say Americanized...of course I'm speaking of cheese.  That's right...almost every "Italian" dish I prepare is most often covered in cheese.  Smothered in it.  Stifled with it.  Go ahead and look back at my Stuffed Manicotti.

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I know that most authentic Italian dishes, if they do in fact have cheese on them, are merely dusted with a nice pecorino, asiago, or (my favorite) parmigiano-reggiano.  Not my "Italian".  Oh no, sir.  In fact, I dare to say that when I'm craving a great plate of spaghetti or risotto, I'm actually just craving cheese.  The pasta may very well be an afterthought to me.

I make pasta so often that I thought it appropriate to teach my daughter at a young age how to "properly" twirl the spaghetti, fettuccine, or linguine with a fork and a spoon.  Most people are amazed that I child of her age rarely has noodle slapped sauce marks across her face after devouring a large bowl of noodles.  I am so so proud.  As it turns out, however, this is not at all the authentic Italian way to properly eat pasta.  Dang it!  I thought I was so sophisticated!  You're actually never supposed to use a spoon, but rather the side of your bowl or the lip of your plate to gently twirl your starchy strands around your fork.  

So I've decided that when in Italy (Hah!  Can't wait to see that day!) I will eat as they do.  But when it my kitchen, I will smother away in cheese and watch adoringly as my daughter shows our guests our "proper" way to eat spaghetti.

Laura