Pasta and chicken are two incredibly popular foods around the world. However, in Italy, it’s rare to find chicken served with pasta. This leads many to wonder, why don’t Italians have chicken with their pasta?
The History of Pasta in Italy
To understand why Italians don’t combine chicken and pasta, it helps to look at the history of pasta in Italy. Pasta has been a part of Italian cuisine for centuries. Some historians believe pasta was likely brought to Italy from China by Marco Polo in the 13th century. However, others point to evidence that pasta existed in Italy before Marco Polo’s travels.
Regardless of exactly how pasta arrived in Italy, it quickly became a staple food across the country. Italy’s warm climate and fertile soil make it ideal for growing durum wheat, which is used to make high-quality dried pasta. As pasta grew in popularity, Italian chefs began experimenting with unique pasta shapes and recipes.
Pasta was especially popular among the working classes in Italy because it was an affordable and readily available food. It was often served as a first course and then followed by vegetables, meat or fish. Even today, pasta remains an important part of Italian food culture.
The Traditional Role of Pasta in Italy
For many Italians, pasta is more than just a food – it’s a culinary tradition that has been passed down for generations. Traditionally, pasta was seen as a starter or first course (primo piatto) in an Italian meal.
The primo piatto usually consists of pasta served with a simple sauce like tomato, olive oil, garlic or pesto. It’s intended to whet one’s appetite before the secondo piatto, which features meat, fish or other protein dishes. This multicourse dining structure is part of why chicken and pasta are rarely combined in traditional Italian cooking.
Additionally, pasta was historically viewed as a dish for common people. Meat and seafood dishes were considered higher class cuisine. So chicken wasn’t necessarily seen as an appropriate pairing for humble pasta. However, perspectives on pasta have changed and chicken and pasta combinations are now popular outside Italy.
The Custom of Serving Protein Separately in Italy
Another reason chicken doesn’t often accompany pasta in Italy is because protein and carbs are usually served separately. This convention goes back centuries.
In the past, meat was considered a luxurious ingredient that was too expensive for ordinary people to enjoy regularly. So pasta or rice provided sustenance, while meat or fish were served sparingly in smaller portions. This led to the practice of serving carbs and protein separately.
While meat is now more widely available, the traditional structure of Italian meals still remains. The primo piatto provides carbs while the secondo piatto delivers protein. Italians prefer to savor the unique flavors of each individual dish rather than combine everything together.
The Regional Nature of Italian Cuisine
It’s also important to note that there really is no single “Italian cuisine” as Italy has diverse regional food traditions. What’s typical in one city or region may be unheard of elsewhere in the country.
For example, in Northern regions like Piedmont and Lombardy, rich meat ragus are common pasta sauces. Butter and cream-based sauces are also popular in the North. Meanwhile, coastal Southern regions may feature more seafood pasta dishes.
So while chicken and pasta is not an iconic Italian national dish, some regional variations may exist. But in general, quality ingredients are valued over complex, protein-rich sauces in Italian cooking.
The Prized Simplicity of Traditional Italian Pasta Dishes
In both Northern and Southern Italian cooking, there is an emphasis on enhancing, not masking, the flavor of high-quality, seasonal ingredients. So pasta sauces tend to be simple to let the pasta shine.
Classic Italian pasta dishes like cacio e pepe, carbonara, or pasta al pomodoro get their character from just a few basic ingredients like cheese, eggs, tomatoes, olive oil or garlic. Layering in complex flavors like chicken isn’t necessary from a traditional Italian perspective.
In fact, many Italians believe adding chicken strips or chunks to pasta is an Americanized practice that destroys pasta’s essential simplicity and harmony of flavors.
The Role of Meatballs and Other Italian Dishes
While pasta dishes don’t typically contain chicken, that doesn’t mean Italians only eat pasta alone. Many Italian meals feature complementary protein dishes served alongside or after pasta.
For example, spaghetti and meatballs is a globally popular Italian food pairing. However, in Italy, the meatballs would likely be served as a second course or on the side rather than baked directly into the pasta dish.
Besides meatballs (polpette), Italians may also enjoy veal or chicken cutlets (cotoletta), chicken stew (cacciatore), or grilled sausages (salsiccia) in the same meal as pasta. The meat provides protein while the pasta offers an affordable, filling carb base.
Modern Takes on Chicken and Pasta
While chicken and pasta combinations are still uncommon in Italy, some modern Italian chefs are starting to experiment more with integrating chicken into pasta. For instance, filling ravioli or tortellini pastas with ricotta and chicken is growing more popular.
Younger generations of Italians are also more receptive to interpretations of Italian cuisine that blend the traditional with the innovative. Dishes like chicken parmesan over spaghetti are likely seen as Italian-American or fusion cuisine rather than authentic Italian food.
Additionally, as Italian food culture spreads globally, chicken and pasta dishes tailored to international tastes are becoming more routine abroad. But in Italy itself, keeping chicken separate from pasta remains the norm.
Conclusion
In summary, there are a few key reasons chicken and pasta are rarely combined in authentic Italian cooking:
- Pasta is traditionally seen as a starter course while chicken appears later in the meal
- Chicken wasn’t considered an appropriate match for common people’s humble pasta
- Proteins and carbs are customarily served separately
- Italian regional cuisines vary greatly
- Simplicity and quality are prized over complex chicken flavors
- Other protein dishes are usually served alongside pasta
So for Italians, savoring well-made pasta with simple sauces and enjoying lighter protein dishes separately is preferred. However, Italian-American fusion has popularized chicken and pasta globally. Within Italy, some chefs are starting to experiment with modern interpretations as well, though traditional practices still dominate.
