TikTok’s self-declared pasta queen has issued a public service announcement regarding authentic Italian pasta and the American tendency to put a spin on classic dishes.
Though no one can agree on what constitutes a portion of pasta, we know that the carbohydrate is one of the most beloved foods on the planet. But as it turns out, America might have to switch off its feud with the UK to fight off the advances of a protective Italy.
Americans are ruining authentic Italian pasta
Foodie TikTok has been debating authenticity for some time, with some suggesting it’s the most important part of cooking and others arguing that authentic dishes serve as a blueprint for your own creation.
On the Italian side of things, there is arguably no one better to chime in than The Pasta Queen (@the_pastaqueen) who posts Italian cooking content for her 3.5 million followers. While appearing on the Growing Up Italian podcast recently, the Pasta Queen laid into the Americanisation of authentic Italian pasta.
“Chicken alfredo really rubs me the wrong way,” she explained, adding that locals in Campania would “chase you out” of the restaurant.
Unlike a carbonara, which is somewhat lighter, an alfredo sauce is comprised of butter, heavy cream, and a ton of parmesan cheese.
“No chicken alfredo, no chicken parm, no chicken in anything for that matter. It’s canceled,” she raged. “This is why I do the service announcement, I wanna protect you from the Italian anger. When you go to Italy and you think you’re going to find chicken parm on the menu, the waiter basically double charges you because you have created a diplomatic incident.”
Pasta makes people passionate
As you might expect from such a divisive topic, everyone in the comment section had some very passionate feelings about what constitutes authentic Italian pasta.
One person wrote: “Scratched off the travel list… chicken alfredo is good for me… like that little boy that needed bacon on wife swap.”
“Okay so…what protein goes with pasta? I thought the chicken was the safest bet,” someone else questioned, which spurred the response, “In Italy the first course is a carb, the second course is a protein (usually). You can have meat on pasta (for ex. Ragù) but it’s just a “dressing”. And never chicken.”
Another person wrote: “I agree no chicken pasta. never understood that.”
