14 "Italian" Dishes That Aren't Actually Italian

You might be surprised to find that your favorite Italian restaurant dishes aren't as authentic as they seem.

Spaghetti with meatballs

It would seem like a truly Italian dish. But no! It was invented in America (Italians eat meatballs separately), but that doesn't make it any less delicious.

Marinara sauce

This tomato sauce is 100% Italian, but in its homeland it's called sugo di pomodoro. The word "marinara" means "sailor-style." The name comes from a story (probably fictional) about how sailors' wives would whip up a quick sauce when they saw their husbands' boats returning home.

Garlic bread

Toasted bread, buttered and rubbed with spices, is popular in Italy, but it's served in slices and called bruschetta. A whole loaf of bread, cut in half and baked with garlic, and especially generously sprinkled with mozzarella, is something else entirely.

Baked ziti pasta

Baked pasta (pasta al forno) has a long and illustrious history in Italian cuisine. Specifically, ziti pasta, baked with tomato sauce and cheese (usually ricotta), is more of an Italian-American phenomenon. The recipe retains traditional features, but is not authentic.

Chicken Parmigiana

Eggplant Parmigiana originated in Sicily, and this version has been recreated more or less faithfully. The chicken (or veal) dish was created by immigrants to the United States and Canada, perhaps because meat was much more readily available than in the Old World.

Fettuccine Alfredo

Technically, it's an Italian dish—it originated in a Roman restaurant—but in reality, it's unheard of in Italy. Even so, how can you be mad at macaroni and cheese with cream?

Italian dressing

No, and no, again. There's no Italian recipe that even remotely resembles this dressing. Italian salads are dressed with oil and vinegar, each serving served separately. This dressing, however, originates from Missouri, and most likely got its name from the oregano and garlic it typically includes.

Penne alla vodka

There's some controversy here. The dish isn't truly Italian, but it's possible it was invented there: either at the behest of vodka importers or by a chef who had one too many. No one knows for sure, but you won't find this pasta on menus in Italy.



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Sunday sauce

Meat stewed in tomato sauce is a very traditional Italian dish, although the tomato sauce is usually mixed with pasta and served as an appetizer, with the meat as a main course. Sunday sauce is more typical of American cuisine, where it has become an established tradition.

Cioppino

This soup is 100% San Francisco, where it was invented by Italian-American fishermen.

Muffuletta

This sandwich was invented in New Orleans, influenced by the diet of Sicilian immigrants.

Sausages with peppers and onions

This one is more difficult to figure out. The combination is popular, but not traditional, except in Italian-American areas of the United States.

Neapolitan ice cream

Layered ice cream? Definitely Italian (often called spumoni). Chocolate mixed with vanilla and strawberry? This combination was popularized in America and named after the cafes opened by Italian immigrants—that's where this ice cream was sold.

Pizza in pockets

It's similar to calzones, which are truly Italian, originating in Naples. There, they're filled with cheese or meat (but without the tomato sauce—it's served separately for dipping). In this form, the appetizer is unmistakably American.









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