Spaghetti is a type of long pasta and is usually served with a tomato sauce. This is the best known dish on the planet; however, although they are very famous, they are not necessarily simple to eat. If you're tired of staining your shirt, read this article's quick and easy tricks to tackle that dish like a champ. You can also learn some specific spaghetti etiquette rules, to show off at the next dinner with friends.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Use Only the Fork
Step 1. Take the fork with your dominant hand
Spaghetti can only be eaten with this cutlery; any standard sized fork is fine.
Step 2. Skewer some dough with the fork
Lift the cutlery and, with a "spoon" movement, pick up a small amount of spaghetti with the tips. Orient the cutlery sideways, to prevent the pasta from falling, then shake it gently and quickly to separate what has been collected from the rest.
At this stage you only need a few "strands" of pasta. You may think that two, three, or four noodles are few, but they will offer you a good bite when gathered together
Step 3. Place the tip of the fork on the side of the plate
Now that some noodles are skewered, gently press the cutlery onto the flat side of the plate or bowl. The curved edge of the plate or the sloping wall of the bowl are perfect areas for this, but you can use whichever point you like.
The main goal, for the moment, is to separate the spaghetti on the fork from the rest of the pasta
Step 4. Rotate the fork to wrap them
Use your fingers to turn the cutlery several times on itself. The spaghetti trapped between the tips begin to wrap around themselves forming a small "cocoon". Keep twisting the fork until you get a tight skein of neatly rolled spaghetti.
If any segments of pasta are stuck to the rest of the spaghetti, lightly shake the fork up and down a couple of times to separate them; the "cocoon" must remain almost entirely on the cutlery
Step 5. Lift the dough and bring it to your mouth
Carefully raise the cutlery and enjoy the entire spaghetti roll in one bite. Chew, swallow and repeat!
If the bite is too large, start over with fewer spaghetti. When the roll is too large, it is certain that the sauce splashes and dirties all around
Method 2 of 3: Use the Fork and Spoon
Step 1. Take the fork with your dominant hand and the spoon with the other
For some people the "only" way to be able to eat spaghetti is to use both cutlery. If you want to try this technique, use a standard fork and a spoon that is slightly flatter and wider than normal; if you have nothing else, you can use any spoon.
Step 2. Pick up some spaghetti with a fork
This phase is absolutely identical to that of the method described above; remember to take only a little pasta, to avoid ending up with a big messy and voluminous bite.
Step 3. Lift the dough a little to separate it from the rest on the plate
When using the spoon, most of the movements are suspended above the plate. Raise and lower the fork a few times to divide 3-4 spaghetti from the rest of the pasta. Point the cutlery to the side or up to prevent food from slipping.
Step 4. Place the fork on the spoon
Hold this to the side, so that the concave part is facing the tips of the fork. Place the tips gently on the hollow of the spoon and lift everything off the rest of the spaghetti, remaining suspended above the plate to avoid splashing.
Step 5. Rotate the fork
Holding it sideways, start turning it while it rests on the spoon. The twisting motion should bring the dough back onto the cutlery and make sure that it clings tightly. Keep turning the fork until you have a tight "cocoon".
During this operation, use the spoon as a "support surface" to turn the fork; in practice, it performs the same function as the plate
Step 6. Eat the bite of spaghetti
Put the spoon down and bring the fork to your mouth, just as you would if you had collected the pasta with a single cutlery.
Method 3 of 3: Eat Spaghetti the Right Way
Step 1. Don't use the spoon
The previous section describes a technique that involves the use of this cutlery; in reality there is nothing "wrong", but it is not a custom. It is considered a "clumsiness" or a child's habit, just like using Chinese sticks to skewer food and bring it into the mouth.
However, it is perfectly normal to use a fork and spoon to serve the pasta and season it with the sauce
Step 2. Don't cut the spaghetti into small pieces
Traditionally they should never be broken, neither for cooking nor for eating them. This means that you shouldn't break them in half before putting them in boiling water and you shouldn't use the edge of your fork to cut them once they are placed on the plate.
If the bite of spaghetti is too large, do not cut it but just collect a smaller amount of pasta
Step 3. Don't "dip" the fork into the spaghetti
Not only is this ridiculous behavior, but it makes pasta incredibly difficult to eat. By inserting the tips of the cutlery in the center of the spaghetti before starting to turn them, you form a huge and voluminous "cocoon", very difficult to bring to the mouth without creating splashes of sauce.
It is not difficult to avoid this problem; just use the fork to pick up just a few spaghetti and separate them from the rest of the plate before starting to wrap them
Step 4. Eat in a polite, clean and dignified manner
Pasta is not just something you have to "throw" in your stomach to satisfy hunger; it is an important dish that must be cooked, tasted and appreciated. Follow these tips to eat spaghetti in a respectful way:
- Don't suck them in like the little dogs from the cartoon "Lady and the Tramp", but put small mouthfuls in your mouth.
- Do not put other dishes together with the pasta; it is a first course, not a side dish!
- Eat slowly, to avoid splashes and stains, but don't panic if you make a mistake, it happens to everyone!
Advice
- There are common sense rules regarding the combination of sauces and various pasta shapes. Spaghetti are generally seasoned with smooth and fluid sauces that cover them entirely and not with heavier ones that contain a lot of meat and vegetables in pieces.
- If you are eating pasta with meatballs, you can use a fork to break the meat into smaller bites; if the meatballs are small in size, you can eat them whole.
- Don't be afraid to use a bib or napkin to protect your shirt if you're having trouble eating spaghetti properly; it is a small embarrassment, but it allows you to save your shirt from stubborn stains!
