Spoon or No Spoon? What's the Official Way to Eat Spaghetti?

To use a spoon, or not to use a spoon… that’s the spaghetti question! [Source]

When I was a kid, my mother was adamant that the only right way to eat spaghetti was with a spoon and fork. She drilled us about not taking too many strands of spaghetti onto our spoons at one time so that when we rolled up the spaghetti (by pressing the tines of the fork into the bowl of the spoon and then twiddling the fork) we didn’t wind up with a bundle of spaghetti too big to fit in our mouths. 

We had practice sessions and were made to do it properly. This lesson was right up there along with always saying please and thank you, keeping our elbows off the table, clearing our plates when we left were finished, and not leaving the table before we asked permission. 

Mother Knows Best - Or, Does She?

I accepted all this as gospel until I moved in with a bona fide Italian who took one look at my two-handed spaghetti rolling skills and shook his head. “Italians don’t eat spaghetti like that.”

Wait, what? My mother was wrong about something like this? It hardly seemed possible. 

I did a little research and while it’s true that most restaurants provide a spoon and fork for pasta patrons and none other than Emily Post declared that both were necessary for acceptable spaghetti consumption, in fact, Italian kids learn to twirl their spaghetti but without the help of a spoon.

Well. I. Never. 

When in Doubt, Ask an Expert

Still in denial that this could be true despite mounting evidence to the contrary, I chatted with Nick, a nine-year veteran of the Old Spaghetti Factory in Banff to see what he had to say on the matter. “I’d say about 2/3 of the customers don’t use a spoon.” 

I was astonished. No spoon assistance at all? Nope. Though Nick did say that some customers “…may use a knife to cut off a stray strand.” 

A knife? That hadn’t even entered my mind as being a possible solution. Back at home, my mother insisted that nobody over the age of four should have their spaghetti cut up for them. It was a rite of passage to graduate from an adult cutting our pasta for us to being handed a fork and spoon and being taught the ‘proper’ way to do things. 

Don’t Believe the Expert? Ask Google

Except, apparently, it isn’t! Further research revealed that in Italy, only very young children and hopeless people (and tourists) use spoons. 

Not that you will be made to feel bad if you go to the Old Spaghetti factory and ask for a spoon. “As long as our customers are enjoying their meals, it doesn’t matter,” Nick says. “It’s a matter of personal preference.”

As for Nick, he avoids the prickly issue altogether by avoiding spaghetti. “I prefer shorter pasta - penne or tortellini.” 

However you choose to get your spaghetti strands to your mouth (or if, like Nick, you prefer your pasta on the short side), you’ll find lots of options on offer at Banff restaurants. I’ve listed a few below to get you started.

For a more comprehensive list and for full menus, have a good browse through our online menus.

Old Spaghetti Factory
317 Banff Avenue

Can’t decide what kind of sauce to go with your spaghetti? Check out the Pot-Pourri Spaghetti with Meat, Mushroom and Clam Sauce - it’s a sampler for the undecided and includes generous portions of the Old Spaghetti Factory’s most popular sauces.

Ticino Swiss Italian Restaurant
415 Banff Ave

Ticino Swiss-Italian Restaurant has been family-owned and operated since 1979 and the owners are proud to support local suppliers (like Valbella Meats, local farms, BC wineries, the Banff Roasting Co. and the Banff Tea Co.). That kind of passion for local combined with a love of European dining means a memorable experience you’ll want to linger over. Be sure to try their Spaghetti al Sugo con Verdure Grigliate (spaghetti with meat sauce, garnished with grilled vegetables). 

Castello Ristorante
405 Spray Avenue

Craving a taste of the “La Dolce Vita”? Reserve your table at Castello Ristorante now to feel as though you are gazing at the Coliseum from a tiny Italian bistro. At Castello, the pastas are hand-made, the pizza is perfection and the desserts provide the sublime end to any meal.

Catello’s Spaghetti main dish comes with house meatballs, Parmigiano Reggiano, basil, and marinara sauce. 

Meatball Pizza & Pasta  
337 Banff Avenue

Meaty, cheesy, carby deliciousness is what the Meatball Pizza & Pasta is all about. Look no farther for all of your Italian-inspired favourites from Bruschetta to in-house-made gnocchi, and of course, spaghetti.

Do Tell! Spoon or No Spoon?

You know we have to ask… how do you like to eat your spaghetti? What did your Mama tell you about the ‘proper’ way to do things? Or, like Nick, do you prefer penne? Share your pasta-consumption strategies in the comments below!

For more Italian dining options, have a look at our selection of online menus.