Here’s one for the pasta hounds. If you’ve ever found yourself perusing the menu at a fancy Italian joint, confused by the seemingly endless combinations of pasta and proteins (by the way, here is a guide to pasta types) and not wanting to sound like a total newbie as you order, this map is for you. Reddit user Sticcia posted a gloriously detailed Italian Pasta Map from Taste Atlas, which accomplishes to primary goals: 1) making us incredibly hungry, and 2) breaking down popular Italian pasta dishes by city and region. The map even includes photos of each dish, making for simple cross-referencing with the menu and ensuring there are no surprises once your dinner is delivered.
Photo: Taste Atlas/Reddit
This Map of Italy's Famous Pasta Dishes Is Mouthwatering
Photo: Taste Atlas/Reddit
Italians taught the world to appreciate one of life’s simplest pleasures, pasta, and have concocted it in ways so tantalizingly delicious that travelers come from all corners of the Earth just for a taste. To the north are hearty dishes like Lasagne Alla Bolognese and Pizzoccheri Alla Valtellinese. Down south, you’ll find thinner noodles and a lot more seafood, including briny, black squid ink pasta.
No matter the region of Italy that most calls you, be sure to follow the map’s golden rule and kick the Fettuccini Alfredo to the curb. Nobody wants to hang out with the Guastafesta drooling over such a bland dish, what Mitch Hedberg famously referred to as ‘macaroni and cheese for adults.” 