Calling All Italians (Or Just Those That Know Italian Food)

its italian food.........pasta is NEVER out of line. Thats like saying

"this mexican food has too much cheese."

or

"the sky is too blue today"

not possible :0)

My husband's family is Italian, and I fell in love with Rome many years ago. We OFTEN serve all 5 + 1/2 courses, & we often serve them together on the table when it's a small group, but a larger group, everything is cooked and we just switch out from the kitchen to the table. But with a small group, it's more common we'd stick to the middle 3 (PSC). Just to recap:

Wine :)
-Antipasto : before the meal (appetizers, NEVER a leafy salad)
-Primo: Typically a pasta dish or polenta or gnocci
-Secundo: Meat or Seafood dish (typically, but eggplant parmesan etc would also be considered a secundo)
-Contorni: Veggies or Salad or other side dishes
-Dolci: ALWAYS with espresso. In fact, often JUST espresso
1/2 = Aperitif : Lemoncello is a favorite in hot weather

It's not that complicated, in fact, it's very similar to any american meal, just everything is served separately, one following the other, instead of all on one plate. :)

For any family gathering we OFTEN have multiples of each course. For example, your olive pasta and the manicotti would be served at the same time, since they're both pasta dishes. If it was a LARGE gathering, there might be as many as 5 pasta dishes. Then we might bring out the chicken marsala & veal scallopini (mario batali has a killer recipe for that btw from Trestevore -my favorite neighborhood in Rome), & shrimp & whatever other meat dish there is. Then we'd bring out the sauteed greens, or artichokes, or whatever happens to be in season.

I mean, the main thing about the courses is that it separates out the TYPES of foods. Pasta, Protein, Veggies, Sweets. The pasta course is really the CARB course, so that's why it includes polenta, gnocci, etc.

HOWEVER... It's really all about ENJOYING the food. Which, in part, means serving how you wish.

I know some will think two pastas is overkill, but I think it is fine. My family routinely has both lasagna and mostacolli with meatballs at holiday gatherings. Big Italian families are used to lots of pasta--as long as you don't eat like this every day, I think you're fine. Besides the olive and pasta dish sounds like more of a light salad unlike the heavy manicotti with the sauce and cheese. Might even be more of an alternative option for guests that don't care for red sauce or eat cheese. I say go for it!

I don't know the correct order of things, but my Grandfather-in-law is an Italian chef and has buffett type dinner parties often. Of all the ones of his I've gone to, he often has TWO types of pasta in addition to one or two meats and of course, a salad. ONE of the pastas is spicy, the other is not. ONE is with a marinara sauce, one is with an alfredo type homemade sauce. So they are both different dishes.

As for sitting down and serving 'courses', I don't know. The one time we did sit down, the only thing I remember is that there was one meat and probably one pasta. We ate the salad at the end (which is the Italian way I hear).

I think a pasta (or three) is always acceptable at an Italian dinner! :) Sounds yummy!

Normally you don't have more than one pasta dish at a traditional real italian meal. I would save it for another time when you can enjoy the rants and raves over it :)

My husbands family are italian immigrants. When we get together for a casual dinner, there are at least 15 of us. The meat, cheese and olives are usually out when we arrive. It's help yourself at anytime while drinking some homemade wine. There is usually more than one kind of everything you will eat. Once when I asked his cousin what kind of cheese her homemade cheese was, she said "fresh cheese" in her italian accent. I said yes, but what kind of cheese is it? Her reply was "FRESH CHEESE" in a louder voice, like I just couldn't hear her lol. Anyway, the salads and bread come only moments before the pastas and vegetables. Of course everything is served family style and left on the table until everyone is done. Don't forget to urge your guests to eat until they pop. Meat comes last, but if your not serving it that is ok. If you wanted to add an easy meat dish for those hungry husbands you could slow cook some meat on the bone in sauce, chunk it into a bowl and throw it on the table. Follow with fresh fruit and deserts with coffees. Basically, whatever you have that is fresh and delicious is good to serve. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it! Have fun!

This is how we've always done it:
Antipasto-prosuitto, soprasetta, etc w/ olives, roasted peppers etc
Soup- Mistrone, tortolini or brodo
Pasta- Manicotti or ravioli, linguine
Meat- with all the sides
Salad-
Cheese and nuts
fruit
desert with coffee, espresso
grappa or another liquer.

If you want to introduce another pasta do it all together and give your guests a choice which they would prefer. Have fun and don't forget to offer red and white wine with the courses.

Riley J. has nailed it!!!!
Perfect!!!!

We serve it all together! We start with Italian wedding soup, then antipasto salad, main courses are served together with bread and butter. then Italian deserts! Do what ever you please.......sounds yummy to me!!

Haha - my husband's family is Italian and they just throw it all on the table at once. But usually there is one pasta entree with 2-3 meats and 2-3 salads/veggies and bread... and wine:)

My husband is Italian, and spends about a month each year in Rome and southern Italy..this is what he said concerning your pasta courses...
First there is an antipasta ( as varied as you'd like..usually 3-4 different items)
Next- Serve your pasta dish..or a minestra ( sort of a heavy veggie soup)
Third- Your main course..meat or fish with your side dishes ( vegetables, and sometimes you can serve your salad as one of your side dishes if you'd like)
Then serve your salad if you didn't serve it as part of your side dish.
Dessert
Fruit, sometimes cheese with the fruit
cafe and after dinner drinks
He said if you want to serve your olive pasta dish AND the manicott, you should serve them both as the pasta dish...not as two different dishes, since they are both pasta dishes. Just so you know...my husband's an excellent cook, and tries to soak up as much cooking info as possible while visiting family each year...but of course, the way things are done vary so much between regions of Italy...I'd say, serve both the pasta dishes together..sort of a sampler type thing. Enjoy...I definintely want to find that ollive recipe ! KC