Italian cuisine is one of the most popular in the world, now available in nearly every nation on the planet. But most Americans don’t know that there’s a difference between the food served in chain Italian restaurants and the food found in Italy itself. Check out these ‘Italian’ dishes that you won’t actually find in Italy.

Pasta Is Served, But Not With Alla Panna Sauce

Of course, pasta is an authentic Italian dish, but since it has become universally embraced in nearly every country on the planet, many brand new sauces have been invented. Alla Panna is a cream-based sauce that also typically contains butter, cheese, and sometimes mushrooms or a protein like bacon or chicken. Often served with tortellini or penne, Alla Panna is not an authentic sauce that you’ll find in Italy. Similarly, carbonara sauce is an authentic Italian dish but the recipe has been adapted to include ingredients that don’t feature in the original version. Carbonara sauce in Italy is made with egg, cheese, pancetta, black pepper, and parsley, while international adaptations of the dish often contain cream. Every region in Italy boasts its own specialty when it comes to sauce and pasta. The good news is there are endless options to sample. The bad news? Alla Panna won’t be one of them. RELATED: 20 Times Pizza Hut Got Real Weird In Foreign Countries

Pepperoni Is An American Pizza Topping, Not An Italian One

Pizza is one of Italy’s greatest gifts to the world. While everyone is familiar with pizza, many travelers are surprised to find that the pizza in Italy is totally different from what they’re used to at home. The toppings that you’ll find at Pizza Hut, for example, tend not to make an appearance in Italy. Pepperoni is an American topping, not an Italian one. Authentic Italian pizza is usually very simple and only features a few toppings. You’ll commonly find toppings like prosciutto, rocket, mushrooms, artichoke, or ham, but they are typically used sparingly. Plain pizza with tomato sauce and buffalo mozzarella are even more common. Many pizzerias in Italy also serve a different style of pizza from their American counterparts. The base tends to be thin like paper, similar to a New York-style of pizza. RELATED: 10 Delicious Things To Eat In Italy Besides Pizza

Cheesy Mozzarella Sticks Are French In Origin

Mozzarella is a quintessential Italian cheese, so you’d be forgiven for thinking that cheesy mozzarella sticks are an authentic Italian ingredient. Especially when most Italian restaurants in the United States include them on the menu! But you won’t find these in Italy. According to Mashed, cheesy mozzarella sticks are actually French in origin. The first mention of fried cheese was found in a French cookbook dating back to the 14thcentury. Although the version in the cookbook didn’t use mozzarella, it is generally thought that the sticks were adapted from this idea. Italians do many brilliant things with cheese, so even though mozzarella sticks aren’t popular in Italy, you won’t be disappointed. An even better alternative is arancini balls, which are deep-fried breaded rice balls that are often oozing with mozzarella and other fillings. You can now find this Sicilian street food all over the country! RELATED: 5 Pizza Toppings You'll Never Find In Italy (5 You Will)

The Classic Spaghetti And Meatballs Is Not Classic For Italians

We know that it sounds like blasphemy to suggest that spaghetti and meatballs are not an authentic Italian dish. But it’s not. At least, not in the way that we know it. While you will find meatballs in Italy, they tend to be quite different from the way that Americans eat them.

Called polpette in Italian, genuine Italian meatballs tend to be much smaller than the kind you’ll find in the United States. They’re less meaty and are often filled with more bread and cheese, giving a richer flavor. Meatballs in Italy also aren’t typically served with spaghetti, but instead alone or even in soup. The trend of including large, dense meatballs in a spaghetti dish emerged when Southern Italian immigrants arrived in the United States and had more access to meat than they did back home.

When it comes to adding meat and pasta, Italians are more inclined to serve a ragù with slow-cooked meat flavoring the sauce rather than spaghetti and meatballs.

Swap Chicken Or Veal Parmigiana For Eggplant

Parmigiana is definitely available in Italy—it just doesn’t include chicken or veal. While many Americans are used to having tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese served on top of their chicken or veal steak, this isn’t a genuine Italian dish, but an adaptation of one. The authentic version is melanzane alla parmigiana, which is made using eggplant instead of chicken or veal. Eggplant is a popular vegetable in Italy that is used in a variety of dishes, from polpette di melanzane, or eggplant balls, to stuffed eggplants. Vegetables such as eggplant were historically more available than meat in Italy, which is why they feature as the staple ingredient in so many Italian dishes. Meat found its way into dishes like this after immigrants had settled in their new destinations and had more access to it for the first time in their lives. NEXT: The Pasta Dishes You Have To Try In Italy (And Where To Find Them)