For over a 100 years, Italian food has been on the top of many Americans’ list for their favorite things to eat. There are many things that Americans have adopted over the years that have us scratching our heads, so we have compiled a list of 5 things that exist only in America.

1. Add Olive Oil to Water When Cooking Pasta-If you have the pleasure of having a real, Italian cooking you dinner, you won’t see any olive oil near the water pot.  Real Italians allow the pasta to soften in boiling water and only introduce salt for taste.  Real Italian pasta with 100% semolina wheat is enough flavor for us.
2. Putting Ketchup on Pasta- If you see someone getting near a beautiful nest of Egg Tagliatelle with a bottle of Hunt’s, please stop this person from making a huge mistake. Italians love tomatoes, but using ketchup in a pasta dish would be a direct insult to any true Italian cooking the dish.  If you want ketchup, we would consider having a bbq and inviting over your Italian neighbors for hot dogs and hamburgers.
3. Chicken in Pasta- As delicious as it is, you’ll never see a single piece of chicken in a pasta dish. People from Italy look at this perversion as an American thing. It’s a delicious American thing, but it’s something that you’ll never see in Italy.  I know, sad face.
4. Caesar Salad­- If you’re in Italy, and you ask a waiter for Caesar Salad, you won’t find it in Italy. Again, there aren’t many people that don’t love a good Caesar Salad, but if you’re looking to find the origin of where the dish came from, you’ll have a bunch of confused Italians instead.