Many non-Italians don’t know how to eat spaghetti. This is true even for the U.S. in spite of the large Italian community.
Italian table manners in front of a dish of spaghetti are very simple.
First of all, as a general rule, keep your hands on the table throughout the meal, and no elbows! Wait for everyone to be served before starting to eat.
Don’t use the spoon when eating spaghetti to help you wrap the pasta. It is considered bad form. Spaghetti should be eaten with the fork only.
Never cut the threads of pasta with a knife or fork. Spaghetti is sold in the right length, about 10 -inches long, and that is just the right size.
Spaghetti is served in a ”piatto fondo,” a deep bowl like a shallow soup-dish with a rim. Make room at the front of the bowl, pushing the spaghetti a little toward the center. Take a little bunch of the spaghetti with the prongs of the fork. Push it against the front side.
Now, working with the fork in a vertical position and the prongs against the rim of the bowl, twirl the fork clockwise with your fingers to roll the spaghetti around your fork. Raise the fork with the spaghetti wrapped around above the bowl and measure the length with your eyes.
The most common mistake is to load too much pasta onto the fork. If you decide it’s too big or too long, drop it down and pick up a smaller bunch. Roll it again until you form a precise bundle just the right size to go into your mouth.
More mistakes to avoid:
Don’t slurp. Absolutely no sounds of any kind.
Don’t splatter. Spaghetti can sometimes splatter the sauce. So be careful, but don’t wear a napkin as a bib unless you are a small child.
Avoid spaghetti for large or formal parties. Short pasta (rigatoni, penne, etc.) are much easier to serve and to eat.
Scarpetta, which means "little shoe," refers to the act of wiping the last bits of sauce on a dinner plate with a piece of fresh bread. It is not proper to do “scarpetta” at a formal dinner. If you are in an informal setting instead, compliment the cook and ask the guests for permission to do “scarpetta.” They will all agree with a big smile
Fresh Tomato and Basil Sauce Salsa di Pomodoro e Basilico
How to make Fresh Tomatoes and Basil Pasta Sauce
This is a very simple and tasty recipe.
Dice the tomatoes with their skin on. Discard seed and watery part.
The true secret of this dish is in using the best tasting,
fresh, ripe, on the vine small tomatoes. They shouldn’t be too watery
Use also tender small leaves of Italian basil. Bigger leaves are sometimes bitter.
1 lb (500 gr) fresh, very ripe “on the vine” cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
4 - 5 basil leaves
salt
1/2 lb (500 gr) spaghetti
Dice the tomatoes with their skin on. Discard seed and watery part.
Place in a skillet or sauté pan, olive oil, garlic, and red pepper. Break the basil leaves in the pan . Turn heat to medium.
When the oil is hot add the tomatoes. Do not let the garlic color.
Cook the tomatoes for about 7-8 minutes. Let the juices thicken a little.
Cook the pasta in a plenty of salted water.
Taste for readiness from time to time until al dente (firm but not too soft or overcooked).
Drain and transfer to a bowl. Top with the sauce. Toss thoroughly.
Serve at once. Garnish with more basil leaves if you like.
retrived from http://www.annamariavolpi.com/tomato_basil_pasta_sauce.html
