The "Traditional Italian Dishes " mentioned in the book
Spaghetti with Meatballs
Spaghetti with Meatballs
Spaghetti with Meatballs
It was the famous scene from Disney’s Lilli e il Vagabondo that immortalized Spaghetti with Meatballs worldwide in the mid-1950s!
While this dish is largely unknown in Italy, it has become one of the most iconic Italian-American meals in the United States—especially in New York.
Some sources suggest that, as early as the mid-1800s, small m
It was the famous scene from Disney’s Lilli e il Vagabondo that immortalized Spaghetti with Meatballs worldwide in the mid-1950s!
While this dish is largely unknown in Italy, it has become one of the most iconic Italian-American meals in the United States—especially in New York.
Some sources suggest that, as early as the mid-1800s, small meatballs were served with spaghetti alla chitarra in certain regions of Italy. This tradition likely made its way to the U.S. during the waves of Italian immigration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Fettuccine Alfredo
Spaghetti with Meatballs
Spaghetti with Meatballs
Not everyone knows that Fettuccine Alfredo actually originated in Rome!
That’s right—a dish almost completely unknown in Italy today was born in the very heart of the capital.
In the early 1900s, chef Alfredo Di Lelio
created this recipe in his mother’s trattoria, located where the Galleria Alberto Sordi stands today. H
Not everyone knows that Fettuccine Alfredo actually originated in Rome!
That’s right—a dish almost completely unknown in Italy today was born in the very heart of the capital.
In the early 1900s, chef Alfredo Di Lelio
created this recipe in his mother’s trattoria, located where the Galleria Alberto Sordi stands today. He invented it for his wife Ines, who had just given birth to their first child. The original version used semolina fettuccine tossed with butter and plenty of Parmigiano cheese—a simple, nourishing dish, and the perfect natural remedy to regain strength.
Hawaiian Pizza
Hawaiian Pizza
Hawaiian Pizza
Despite its tropical name, la "Hawaiian Pizza" —known in Italy as the famous “Pizza con l’ananas”—wasn’t created in the United States, but in Canada.
It was invented in 1962 by Greek-born pizzaiolo, Sam Panopoulus, who named it “Hawaiian” because, at the time, Hawaii was the world’s top exporter of pineapple!
Caesar Salad
Hawaiian Pizza
Hawaiian Pizza
The "Caesar Salad" owes its name to chef Cesare Cardini, an Italian immigrant who owned a restaurant in Tijuana, a Mexican town on the border with California.
It’s believed the dish was first created on July 4th, 1924, in honor of the American Independence Day celebration.