Italian young people love pasta. 8 out of 10 eat it every day

Impossible to give up on pasta

The survey examined a reduced sample of 1000 young people aged 15 to 35. The premise was avoiding any sort of generalization. The results of the survey conducted for “Associazione delle Industrie del dolce e della pasta italiana” paint a picture of the average young Italian’s eating habits that leans heavily on the pleasures of the Italian table. What emerges is that the preferred dish by Millennials is in effect pasta: 63% of the examined sample considers it indispensable, whatever the condiment. Surprisingly, on the victory podium are also fruit and vegetables which are instrumental in the daily eating plan of 45% of the people investigated. Bread earns a bronze medal as essential Italian example of excellence, binding across-the-board regional traditions and always present on the Peninsular table. Less popular among Italian youngsters are legumes: despite being lionized for their sustainability and multiple health benefits (in 2016 the world celebrates International Legume Year) they are not as appreciated by the interviewed sample. Only 30% would give legumes up without complaining. On the other hand, pasta is a gastronomic universe unto itself. One which offers many diverse opportunities in terms of traditional family recipes as well as more original creations experimented outside of the maternal household. 1 out of 3 Italian young people living with roommates cooks their own pasta.

Lasagna and spaghetti al pomodoro

And which are the most loved recipes? Lasagna and baked pastas in general garner 22% of preferences, followed by a nice plate of carbonara (for 18%) and spaghetti with clams (12%) in a tie tie with the simple tomato and basil sauce. Off the podium for a hair are tagliatelle with meat ragout. The most striking indicator is however in regards to consumption frequency: 8 young people out of 10 eat pasta every day for lunch or dinner. And if the average portion is approximately 100 grams, the majority like larger servings beyond 120 grams, especially in the affluent North Western regions of Italy. The investigation is based on a survey which was commissioned to Doxa approximately a year ago, which revealed that in terms of alimentary preferences, Italians leaned heavily towards pasta: close to 26 million Italians at the time declared to eating pasta every day, and were not ready to give it up, not even for weight loss needs. In the meantime, Parma is currently hosting the Pasta World Championship. Among the participants is Davide Oldani, who will measure himself with a Carbonara 2.0. One last curious fact? When asked “in your opinion, what will be the pasta dish of the future?”, 42% of the interviewed responded “spaghetti with tomato and basil”.  The identity of Italy appears to be alive and kicking. 

by Livia Montagnoli