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Popular 'Italian' dishes that would make any Italian cringe - Unusual ingredients and food pairings that might frustrate Italians

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Pasta -

In Italy, there is nothing more typical than a bowl of pasta. Its preparation is so simple that it seems impossible to mess up. However...

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Pasta or paste? -

While you've probably eaten pasta many times, it's also likely that you've eaten overdone noodles. One of the most common mistakes is to cook the pasta for ages. The result? Something formless with a soggy consistency. Definitely not up to Italian standards.

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Cooking pasta -

So, how do you cook pasta? Fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil, add the pasta (don't break it in half), and wait for it to cook. Easy, isn't it? Yet there are still those who put the pasta in while the water is cold!

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The real carbonara - Despite the creamy texture of carbonara, there's actually no cream involved. 
The seasoning is made of eggs, bacon, pecorino cheese, and pepper. So if you've been eating this dish with cream, it's not the traditional Italian dish you thought it was.

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Pasta, pesto, and... salmon? - It might be tasty, but do not tell any Italians that this dish is from their country!

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Spaghetti with meatballs - Spaghetti with meatballs is a very popular dish, especially in the United States. Many would never doubt its Italian origin, but, in reality, you'll never find it in a true Italian restaurant.

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The right pesto - Outside of Italy, this meal is made with any random nut. But in Italy, the only acceptable ingredient is pine nuts.

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Seafood spaghetti... with cheese! - A basic rule of Italian gastronomy is that seafood should not be paired with cheese so that it won't be overpowered. If you want to eat like a true Italian, stop sprinkling parmesan cheese on seafood pasta!

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Side dish - If you've ever had pasta as a side dish, you're doing Italian wrong! Pasta is always the highlight of the meal, not an extra.

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Veal Milanese - The Italian recipe is quite specific for this dish: place the veal cutlet into the egg and the breadcrumbs, then fry it in butter. However, many places replace veal with chicken, or fry it in oil instead of butter. This is a travesty by Italian standards.

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Caprese salad - Nothing is more disappointing than biting into processed cheese instead of buffalo mozzarella or fior di latte combined with tomatoes and basil.

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Eggplant parmigiana - The traditional parmigiana is done completely differently outside of Italy. For example, in the United States the eggplant is replaced with chicken cutlets.

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Tiramisu - Outside of Italy, whipped cream replaces mascarpone cheese: a true tragedy for Italians!

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Canned food - Canned food was invented for those who love Italian food, but don't know how to cook it. However, an Italian would never dare to season pasta with sauce from a jar.

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Pizza - The traditional Italian pizza is a margarita pizza. The secret lies in the tasty balance of just a few ingredients: tomatoes, mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil, and basil. That's it.

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Exaggeration -

However, outside of Italy, it seems that pizzas must contain at least 10 ingredients to be edible!

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Strange combinations - Pizza is generally considered by the Italians to be one of their most mistreated dishes. Foreign versions often include flavors that Italians would never even dream of eating. Let's take a look.

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Greek pizza - Combining pizza dough, Greek salad, and meatballs in a single dish is not something an Italian would ever do.

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Sauerkraut pizza - What about this version? You can find it in Germany, of course! While the Germans are putting their own spin on a classic, Italians everywhere are refusing to call this pizza.

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Chicago-style pizza - Despite the fact that this pizza is well-loved in its home city, an Italian would actually consider it a weird quiche.

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Sushi pizza - Imagination has no limits, and sometimes to an Italian that's not the best thing.

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Kebab pizza - Pizza and kebab are two different dishes, but together they seem to be one of the most appreciated meals outside of Italy. However, they would never stand for it in the Mediterranean nation.

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Banana curry pizza - In Sweden, they love pizza, so they invented this creative variant with tomato, curry cheese, smoked ham, and bananas cut into slices. This might not appeal to everyone, and it definitely doesn't appeal to Italians.

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Hawaiian pizza - One of the most controversial and dividing pizzas out there: tomatoes, cheese, ham, and... pineapple! An impossible dish to find in Italy.

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Carbonara pizza - A real crime! Never, ever, tell an Italian you had a carbonara pizza.

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Cappuccino and pizza - Both were invented in Italy, but you'll never see an Italian consuming them at the same time!

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Pepperoni pizza -

This classic is not without controversy. Italians do not eat salami on their pizzas, thank you very much.

See also: Weird pizza toppings from around the world

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