I heard that pastas in Italy are an appetizer, a first dish. I am concerned, I'm going to Rome soon and if I want to eat only pasta and a dessert? Is it usual to do this? I don't eat much and love pastas but I am not able to eat another thing after eating pasta. I mean I am afraid it might not be polite and that the waiters look at me like i'm a rare person.<BR>Thank you very much for answering me.

From my limited time in Italy I can tell you that it's okay to order whatever you want. As long as you are friendly and polite, the waiters don't mind. My experience was that each dish is ordered separately, ie pasta, vegetable, meat, salad, etc. If you have difficulty reading the menu, ask for help. Don't worry and have a great time.

They're not an appetizer; they're a first course (pasta, rice dishes, soup), which comes after the appetizer, which is optional. Unless you get a package deal, you order each course separately. I don't know about in Rome, but in other parts of central and southern Italy I've had no problems ordering a first course plus a contorno, which is a side dish (salad or cooked vegetable). Lots of people did this. (Maybe it would be frowned upon in a very formal fancy restaurant, but you should be able to selct and eat and pay for whatver you want every place else.) I never ordered dessert when doing this, but you could, since it's all separate.

Carol, We just returned from Italy and yes Pasta is usually listed on the menu as 1st course (nicer restaurants). But.. no problem in ordering any way you want to. Attitude is so important, if you're nice the serve staff will be also, Italins are very friendly and want to be so helpful esp in the smaller towns. Be prepared to get charged for bread in Rome, something new they've started since we were there last year. I saw a person ask the waiter to take it away, that she didn't order the bread, so I guess if you don't want to be charged for bread that's the solution. I ordered pasta alot and throughly enjoyed it and never felt uncomfortable about just ordering pasta. I'm stuck on Caprise Salads and would usually have salad and pasta them we love to have our desserts later at one of the many bakery/cafes. If you have a chance visit Adrain's Villa (about a hour out of Rome) a wonderful example of ancient architectural.<BR>Have a great trip!

Thank you all for your answers<BR>Now I will be more confortable ordering my pastas and enjoying my trip to Rome. Many thanks again

Some portions can be more than large enough for a meal, so why waste money. I ordered courses according to how hungry I felt.

Hi Carol<BR>As others have mentioned, a full Italian meal consists of an antipasto (before the pasta), a primo (first course) a secondo (second course) contorno (side dish), salad, desert.<BR><BR>You don't have to order everything.<BR><BR>Many dishes can be ordered as a primo (small) or secondo (large).

<BR><BR>I can't speak for fancy, expensive restaurants, since I don't choose to eat in those, but in all other restaurants in Italy, I've never felt any kind of scorn for ordering a pasta dish but no second course. <BR><BR>I have read that, even among Italians, it has become more common in recent years to skip the second course.

Sorry to hijack your thread but when you say you order separately do you mean you order one course, eat it, then order another or do you order them all at the beginning!

<BR><BR>Sara, I've always ordered all dishes at the same time, but they are not all brought out at the same time.

Thanks for that

When I go to Italy, half the time, I don't even order pasta. I order an Antipasti (appetizer)and a Secondo (entree), a glass of vino, and sometimes, dessert and expresso. Nobody has ever so much as raised an eyebrow. Buon appetito!

Carol<BR>fyi<BR>You may find that when you order pasta, since it is not traditionally considered a main course, the portions are quite a bit smaller than in an Italian restaurant in the US for example.

Just a sort of interesting side note. Traveling off the beaten path in very southern Italy this summer I noticed a slight difference in the idea of &quot;primo&quot; and &quot;secondo&quot; in many places there as opposed to the usual I had found in Rome, Florence, Venice, etc.<BR><BR>The &quot;primo&quot; or pasta course was often a much larger serving than I was used to in most restaurants in Italy. But I was usually shocked at the low, low prices of &quot;secondo&quot; courses. It was understandable when I ordered them as they were often very small portions. A veal dish, for example, was likely to be served on a smaller than dinner sized plate and contain just one or two smallish slices of great veal prepared in whatever manner ordered. The difference was even more obvious when on more than one occassion, a waiter would call the &quot;primo&quot; course &quot;main course&quot;, as if they were translating primo not as &quot;first&quot; but rather as &quot;main&quot;, which is certainly how it looked and priced.