I recently saw an image on Facebook from a supposedly Italian restaurant in Australia. I was reminded how perceived Italian cuisine is very different from authentic Italian food prepared and consumed in Italy.
For example, Italians never put pasta together with crumbed meat on the same plate. You will never see meatballs on top of pasta in Italy. It is never done because pasta is strictly a first course while meat or meatballs are mains.
Italians are very particular about their food; certain foods are not combined and served in a specific way. For example, it is frowned upon to put cheese on seafood pasta. And salads are never done as garnish together with meat or fish; they are ordered separately as side dishes and are served on separate plates.
An Italian would be shocked to see two distinct dishes haphazardly heaped on a plate. The standards for food preparations in Italy are very high, and it is expected that food is served in a certain way to respect each ingredient’s unique flavour.
Read more about the Italian culture of food: https://sicilyinsideandout.com/2022/06/03/how-to-eat-like-an-italian-2/
