The Most Common American 'Italian' Dishes You Really Shouldn't Try To Order In Italy

It's far from a secret that Italians are known for their amazing food. With a deep-seated food culture and rich culinary traditions, Italy is no short of a paradise for foodies. While tourists should expect their meals to be delicious, with regional variety and local ingredients, they should not expect their meals to be, well, American. Although this may seem obvious, as it turns out, many of the foods we are used to seeing in Italian restaurants and homes across the United States are not exactly traditional. Many of the classics that we know and love came about at the end of the 19th century and into the 20th century when a wave of Italian immigration to the U.S. led to many Italian food items evolving to utilize more accessible ingredients and appeal to Americanized palates.

We've rounded up some of the dishes you should avoid ordering, so you don't risk embarrassing yourself or being disappointed. When possible, we've included alternatives you can order instead. This way, you can satisfy any potential craving or find a familiar favorite, just in its more authentic Italian form. And while you're there, if you run into any restaurants serving up any of these items (or even just with a multilingual menu) — you'll want to turn around immediately. With so much amazing food throughout the country, you don't want to waste your time at an overrated tourist trap.

As it turns out, pepperoni originated in the United States, so don't expect to see it offered on pizza during your Italian vacation. In fact, if you ask for "pepperoni," you may even end up with bell peppers on your pizza since that's what it translates to in Italian. While the exact roots of the cured salami are unclear, its first known appearance was in 1919 in New York City. With the addition of paprika and chili-pepper-based spices to dry salami, pepperoni has its own unique taste and coloring compared to its Italian origins. As an inexpensive meat that doesn't quickly spoil, it quickly grew in popularity.

But it wasn't until a couple of decades later, in the 1950s, that pepperoni began popping up on pizza, which had become a favorite across the United States. Allegedly, it was first served at a pizzeria, The Spot, in Connecticut. If you want meat on your pizza while in Italy, stick to classic salami, prosciutto, or sausage. If you happen to be traveling in Calabria, the Italian destination with Amalfi Coast views, you may find that the salami is similar to pepperoni, as it is slightly spicy and red-colored due to the addition of dried chiles.

There are few foods quite as classic as spaghetti and meatballs. But it turns out that this pasta dish part of countless families' weekly rotations is another Italian-American invention. While meatballs are a part of traditional Italian cuisine, they are known as "polpettes" and are typically served on their own, without a serving of spaghetti or marinara. The differences don't stop there — polpettes are generally much smaller than how they're served in the U.S. In Abruzzo, they're as small as marbles and called "polpettines." Plus, they can vary widely across regions, utilizing various types of proteins such as beef, lamb, turkey, or even fish, along with other local ingredients, and are an equal bread-to-meat ratio. If you want to try them, you'll have better luck coming across them in an Italian home than at a restaurant, too.

As for the iconic American meatball, it came about in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when roughly four million Italian immigrants arrived in the U.S. Meat was far more accessible and affordable in the U.S. compared to Italy at that time, when economic and political turmoil meant that meat was more of a luxury. With canned tomatoes and spaghetti also now easy to access, the classic combination was born.

Chicken parmesan is another dish that's become somewhat of a staple, both in homes and Italian restaurants across the U.S. But, it's another food item you'll want to steer clear of ordering while traveling in Italy lest you risk embarrassing yourself. Chicken was actually never a huge part of Italian cuisine — in fact, it was pretty hard to come by prior to the turn of the 20th century, which is when Italians began to immigrate to the U.S. in large numbers.

It was in the United States where chicken and other types of meat became more accessible to Italian immigrants, who then started incorporating the meat more into their dishes. By the 1950s, chicken parmesan could be found on restaurant menus and in cookbooks, solidifying its standing as a classic comfort food. If you're craving something similar, you're in luck. What you can find, particularly if you're traveling through Italy's sun-drenched southern corner, is parmigiana di melanzane, also known as eggplant parmesan. You'll get the same crispy, fried base with a flavorful red sauce and melted cheese that can be found in chicken parm, just the traditional, vegetarian version.

In this case, you can actually try to order it, just adjust your expectations accordingly. Despite what some people may say, fettuccine alfredo does in fact exist in Italy. It just looks a bit different from the ultra-rich, creamy version typically found in the U.S. that's often topped with chicken or shrimp. The original recipe goes back to the best city to kick off a vacation in Italy — Rome. In the early 1900s, chef Alfredo di Lelio allegedly concocted the recipe for his wife, who had recently given birth and had fallen ill. The first iteration of fettuccine alfredo was remarkably simple — fresh-egg pasta with butter and Parmesan — and supposedly immediately revitalized his wife.

Light, simple, and with just a hint of creaminess, the recipe quickly caught on and was given new life in the United States when 1920s American film stars Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks visited Rome and fell in love with the dish. Without the same exact ingredients available — Parmigiano-Reggiano, for instance, was not available in the U.S. until after World War II — heavy cream was incorporated into the dish to compensate, along with parsley. So if you do order it, just don't expect the Americanized version that's a far cry from di Lelio's original. If you want to try the original dish, head to Il Vero Alfredo, which was opened by di Lelio and his son after the original location was sold.

With pasta, red sauce, cheese, and the occasional addition of meat layered together, baked ziti is hearty, comforting, and bound to be a crowd-pleaser. This dish, however, is another Italian-American concoction, although the good news is, you can find a pretty similar version in Italy, too. It's a type of pasta called al forno which translates to pasta baked in an oven and the traditional version dates back to the Renaissance. Then, it was primarily served during special occasions like weddings in southern Italy, although it typically used pasta shapes like rigatoni or cannelloni. You'll find that versions also differ throughout the country — in Naples, for instance, you may see pasta al forno served with little meatballs, while in Sicily it may come with scrambled eggs, while other versions even incorporate bechamel sauce.

The Americanized version also took inspiration from the Neapolitan dish pasta au gratin. Akin to macaroni and cheese, pasta au gratin utilizes bechamel sauce, cheese, and pasta, and is then baked. Like other American takes on Italian dishes, ingredients that were more easily found in the U.S. were incorporated, such as ricotta cheese (although you may still find pasta al forno with ricotta in Italy, too!)

If you thought this popular salad dates back to Julius Caesar himself, you're not alone. But as it turns out, the name actually references a different Caesar — Caesar Cardini, an Italian chef who actually created the dressing in 1920, at his restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico. The story goes that he was short on ingredients when he concocted the now legendary salad, using what he had on hand: lettuce stalks, olive oil, raw egg, croutons, parmesan cheese, and Worcestershire sauce.

The addition of anchovies likely came later, when Caesar's brother, Alex, made his own take on the salad. Although nowadays, the salad is extremely popular across the U.S. and even internationally, Italy is one place you shouldn't expect to see it offered on any menus. If you're looking for something on the lighter side, perhaps opt for the Neapolitan caprese, with silky mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, and basil, or the Tuscan Panzanella, which includes bread, tomatoes, a vinegar and olive oil dressing, along with other ingredients.

While a slice of crusty, buttery garlic bread is often seen as a perfect accompaniment for your pasta or salad dish, you'll look like a total tourist if you dare order it in Italy. The good news is, there's a perfect alternative. What you should ask for instead is bruschetta, a garlicky toasted bread with drizzled olive oil and salt that is sure to satisfy any craving for American garlic bread.

There are few foods quite as traditional as bruschetta, which dates back to ancient Rome, when leftover bread was grilled over a fire. Nowadays, it is still a favorite across Italy, with numerous regional variations. You may also see it served with tomatoes (served cold and fresh — never as a sauce) and basil, with local pork salami if you venture into Abruzzo, or even with anchovies and capers in Sicily. When it comes to garlic bread, it's another Italian-American riff on a classic. Key ingredients like olive oil and the bread traditionally used for bruschetta (generally ciabatta or pane casalingo) were scarce in the U.S., meaning Italian immigrants had to turn to what was more available: French bread and butter. If you ask us, any combination of bread and garlic is delicious in our book.

If you've ever been to an Italian bakery in the States, it's more than likely that you've seen these multi-colored desserts that have become a mainstay in both Italian American communities. Sometimes known as tricolore, seven-layer cookies, Venetian cookies, Napoleon cookies, or just rainbow cookies, this colorful dessert is more of a sponge cake than a cookie, but we digress. With white, red, and green layers of almond cake stuffed between jam and chocolate, there's no doubt that it's appetizing, but is it actually Italian?

In this case, rainbow cookies may take inspiration from a couple of Italian treats, namely the colorful gelato di Campagna made with melted sugar and candied fruits, as well as Pasticcini arcobaleno, a rainbow-toned pastry served around Christmas time. Rainbow cookies, however, are uniquely their own, and are an Italian American creation dating back to the late 1800s. As for their distinct red, white, and green colors, they are said to be an ode to the Italian flag.

If you're looking forward to a hoagie in Italy, it's best to lower your expectations now. While the use of cold cuts and cheese is Italian-esque, the use of tons of toppings like lettuce, pickles, and condiments is nothing like what you'll find in Italy. This rendition traces back to an Italian immigrant in Maine named Giovanni Amato, who in 1899, created the sandwich we know today, which is typically stuffed with a combination of ham, cheese, onions, pickles, tomatoes, green peppers, olives, salt, pepper, and oil.

The briney, hearty sandwich is a far cry from the sandwiches that you'll find in Italy, which tend to be much more on the simple side. Generally, they come with just one type of meat and one type of cheese, with the occasional tomato slice or a bit of mayo. This doesn't mean that sandwiches in Italy aren't delicious though. In fact, that's far from the case. There are plenty of Italian sandwiches you should try at least once, from the panino which is often served with high-quality prosciutto or mortadella, to the flavorful pork sandwich, porchetta de Ariccia, found in Rome.

The zesty Italian dressing found across grocery stores and in restaurants across the U.S. may have "Italian" in its name, but that doesn't mean you should attempt to order it while vacationing in Italy unless you're ready for some judgment from your waiter. The dressing, made with olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and seasonings like oregano, actually has two different origin stories, both of which start in the United States. One theory credits the dressing to American restaurant owner Phillip Sollomi. The menu at his Missouri restaurant offered the dressing, which was supposedly inspired by his mother's Sicilian recipe. On the other hand, a Massachusetts restaurant owned by Ken Hanna also claims to have created the famous dressing. Hanna says that his wife Florence was the one who introduced Italian dressing.

Regardless of its true origins, don't expect to find it in Italy. Instead, salads are generally kept simple, and are typically dressed with extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, and salt. Your salad likely won't come pre-dressed either. Oftentimes, the dressing ingredients will be brought separately to the table, so you can dress your salad yourself.

This is one dish that can cause particular confusion for visitors to Italy, for more reasons than one. In the U.S., the dish consists of shrimp cooked in a buttery, garlicky, white wine sauce, and is typically served over pasta, but this is once again, a creation that fused Italian cooking techniques with American ingredients. As for the Italian version, first and foremost, don't expect to see a key ingredient on your plate.

"WARNING – Italian Scampi is NOT shrimp," wrote one traveler in a Rick Steves Europe forum. It's true — when the Americanized version first popped up in the 1920s and grew in popularity after World War II, it utilized shrimp, which were accessible in the United States, but in Italy, "scampi" refers to langoustines, also known as Dublin Bay Prawn or Norway Lobster, which are much larger than shrimp. And in Italy, it isn't likely to see the dish served over pasta, either, but rather with a side of crusty bread. And if you're specifically looking for shrimp, ask for "gamberetto" instead.

While you shouldn't go asking for spaghetti bolognese in Italy, the good news is that you'll definitely find this mouthwatering meat-based sauce. This quintessential pasta dish has Italian roots going back to Bologna, an underrated Italian city with some of the world's best pasta. The first known use goes back to the late 1800s when it was documented in a cookbook utilizing lean veal, butter, onions, and carrots. But instead of pairing the sauce with spaghetti as in the United States, the original recipe, ragù alla bolognese, matched the slow-cooked meat sauce with the flat, ribbon-like pasta tagliatelle, which perfectly holds the rich sauce.

In the United States, the thinner spaghetti was much more commonplace so a beloved combination was born in the U.S. and beyond. Nowadays, there are seemingly endless variations — one home cook may add a splash of red wine, while another may add extra vegetables like celery. Nearly 100 years after the recipe first appeared in an Italian cookbook, the Italian Academy of Cuisine officially declared the recipe as a slightly lengthier culmination of ingredients, which included minced beef (cut from the shank, flank or plate, if you want to be extra specific) unsmoked pancetta, onion, carrot, celery, tomato purée or whole peeled tomatoes, meat stock, wine, whole milk, salt and pepper. But whether you try the Americanized take or the Italian original, bolognese sauce is always a winner.