Did you know famous Italian-American chef Lidia Bastianich uses diced celery in her pasta sauce?  How about the fact that real Italians do not use butter on their fresh Italian bread?

These are a couple of interesting Italian culinary tidbits only the true cultural insiders are aware of.

Though the nuances of Italian cooking and eating might seem a bit odd to outsiders, these traditions developed for good reason.

Here’s the inside scoop on five of the most intriguing Italian culinary traditions.

Real Italians Serve Courses as Opposed to one Large Entrée

American restaurants often center service on a gigantic entrée followed by a cup of coffee and dessert.  Things are done a little differently in Italy and America’s true Italian restaurants.  Real Italian meals commence with a starter, typically in the form of antipasto.  The next course is a primo such as risotto, pasta or polenta.

A secondo in the form of fish or meat follows.  A contorno is served next in the form of cooked vegetables or even a small salad.  The final course is dolce, meaning dessert.  The purpose of staggering courses in such a manner is to keep portions under control while providing a carefully measured meal pace, allowing diners to truly savor the flavor of each dish.

Vegetables are Best When Hammered

No, we are not suggesting you get hammered before devouring a side of our tasty vegetables!  Rather, “hammering” is a term some Italians such as Mario Batali use in reference to well-cooked vegetables.  Though Italians are famous for their al dente pasta, we cook veggies longer than most others.  Such slight overcooking elicits those intense textures and flavors necessary to bring out the best in a side of veggies.

Butter Does not Belong on Bread

Though many of our diners desire butter for their bread, those who abide by Italian tradition prefer olive oil.  Some Italians even put vinegar on their bread.  Take a trip to Italy and you will undoubtedly find some diners saving their bread for the end of the meal, using it to soak up leftover pasta sauce.  Whether you would like butter, olive oil or vinegar for your bread, we’ve got you covered.

Fruit is a Perfectly Acceptable Dessert

There is a common misconception that tiramisu, cannoli, and gelato are the only Italian desserts served in Italian restaurants.  However, as real Italians know, fruit is a common Italian dessert.

Enjoy a small bowl of cherries or strawberries after your meal and you will feel quite satiated.  Additional Italian fruit desserts include figs, melons, peaches, persimmons, and plums.

An Italian kitchen is a special place. It’s filled with aromas of delicious Italian food cooking on the stovetop or in the oven, along with colorful ingredients, like green basil and red tomatoes.

However, no Italian kitchen is complete without the essential Italian cooking tools listed below. If you want to turn your kitchen into a place where authentic Italian food is made, consider getting these kitchen tools for yourself.

1. Wooden Spoons

Ah, the wooden spoon. No Italian kitchen is complete without a few of these in all shapes and sizes, with and without holes. Wooden spoons are perfect for stirring pasta sauce, cakes mixes, and pastry cream. The ones with holes are essential when making dishes such as risotto because the holes allow for the rice to freely flow through the spoon.

2. Rolling Pin

Whether you plan to make your own pasta, pizza crust, or cookies, a rolling pin is an essential Italian kitchen tool. There are two styles of pins – rods and rollers. The latter is a thick cylinder with small handles while the former is thinner with tapered batons.

3. Pasta Machine

Looking to become an overnight Italian chef? Then you’ll need to learn how to make your own pasta. It’s easy when you have a pasta machine. With a pasta machine, you can make any kind of pasta, such as linguine, Fettuccine, spaghetti, lasagna noodles, and more. You set the desired thickness or thinness of the pasta you want to make and simply crank the dough out through the rollers. Most pasta machines also include accessories that allow you to make nearly any kind of pasta shape you want.

4. Colander

Also called a strainer, a colander is one of the most important tools for an Italian kitchen. You need to drain your cooked pasta right away so choose a colander that allows for a fast and effective drainage option that also doesn’t allow any food to escape. Since the sink is typically the most dirty place in the kitchen, make sure the sink is completely clean before draining the pasta and avoid having the colander tip over with food spilling out into the sink. Yuck!

5. Wine Opener

An Italian meal must have wine to go with it. Red or white, depending on what dish you’re serving. For this reason, it’s important to have at least one wine bottle opener in your Italian kitchen, though having more is better in case you misplace one.