Fake Italian foods, what is real Italian food?

 

   Ever been to an Olive Garden thinking they served real Italian Cuisine? Well, Olive Garden has pulled the wool over your eyes if you think they are serving real Italian food. So, which foods are the phonies that are passing themselves off as Italian food? 

    Don't get me wrong, some of these fakes taste very good...but they are far off of being Italian food.

 Marinara Sauce-

 

   If you live in Jersey, or the Italian side of Boston, you will see the 'red sauce' known as Marinara draped over pasta dishes. In Italy, nobody does that. They usually would add oil to their pastas. Sometimes they would incorporate tomatoes in their pasta dish. But Marinara sauce is not an Italian dish. I guess some of the Italian immigrants taught their families how to make a special meal topping for their pasta. Someone added sauce, and history was made.

Penne Alla Vodka- 

    This dish is more Italian-American than a true Italian dish. Not know who or where it was created, some people think that Penne Alla Vodka is a dish with penne and vodka sauce. People didn't start putting Vodka in a pasta dish until the 1970's. This dish contains a cream sauce as well as Marinara sauce. Sometimes this dish would have ham chunks and peas, but that's only an option. This dish is more Italian-American than straight up Italian.

Garlic Bread

    This smelly bread that contains garlic is not even Italian. It is more of an American creation by garlic and bread lovers. Getting the idea from Bruschetta. They would be paired as a side dish for Lasagna, Spaghetti and other Italian foods. Other times, it would be topped with cheese. Some garlic breads have been frozen and sold in markets. Other times, chefs would try fancy ways to make their Garlic bread seem like real Italian food.

Baked Ziti-

    From the Italian dish Pasta al Forno, Baked Ziti is more of a baked dish like a casserole. Lasagna, being another, with grated cheese and ziti inside, this dish is more American than Italian. This dish is more American in the way Lasagna can be another dish. Ziti can be used, other times, other tube-shaped pastas like rigatoni or penne.

Pepperoni pizza-

    If you get a Pepperoni pizza here, you get a sausage style pizza they call pepperoni. If you ask for one in Italy, you'll end up getting one with peppers. The reason why...you wouldn't understand what Italy has. If you want a pepperoni pizza in Italy, get one with sausage, because it'll be similar to the one you get in the states. Pepperoni was not considered an Italian dish, but if you want a true pizza from Italy, get the Margaretta or Neapolitan style pizza. Stuffed crust and deep dish are more an American creation.

Mozzarella Sticks-

    Yes, even these sticks of fried Mozzarella are an American creation. In Italy, they don't really fry cheese. Dipping these delicious fried sticks was more an American thing. And like garlic bread, Mozzarella sticks are also so in groceries, or in restaurants in America like TGI Fridays. Some people even made homemade versions as well.

Fettucine Alfredo-

    

    There is a history behind this dish. That a cook made it to take care of his wife who was dealing with pregnancy issues. A restaurant was opened in the 1940's where they created the dish. But I think it took place in America. Whatever the origin of this sauce was from, it was not from Italy. This cheese sauce, mostly seen in Fettucine dishes, was not created in Italy, but is enjoyed in many places in America for people who have a love of cheese sauce

Neapolitan Ice cream-

    Unlike the style of pizza, Neapolitan ice cream is not Italian. Having three flavors in one, this ice cream has strawberry, vanilla and chocolate all in stripes. But this ice cream dish is not even Italian. It is more an American dish with three distinct colors of the most eaten ice cream. Not known who came up with the dish or the name, it might have been thought up in an Italian American ice cream store. 

Spaghetti and meatballs-

    A dish that sounds as if it was created by Italians...but an all-American dish created in the USA. How did it get its start? Well, first off, Spaghetti is always considered an Italian dish, but back in Italy, they never add meatballs to their pasta. Knowing that this dish is more American than Italian, it's still considered one of the most memorable dishes that is more American than Italian.

  Sometimes some food origins can surprise you. Not every dish was thought up in different countries. Some French, Mexican....even Asian cuisines might have been thought here in America, just like the Italian foods from above. All you have to do is find out...is this food from here or created somewhere else on the map.