What is your favorite Italian dish?

[ppalmer1179]

It is kind of funny to see this question asked and read the responses. I actually lived in Italy for 3 years and I found that Italian food is very over rated. Italian food in Italy is nothing like Italian food from places like Olive Garden in the US. It is kind of like comparing Chinese food in China to Chinese food from Panda Express. It's not the same. When I first moved to Italy, I couldn't wait to eat real Italian pizza. When I did eat some, I was highly disappointed. The bread was flat, the sauce was runny, and there was no cheese. At first, I though it was just the restaurant, but I came to realize that it was just the way Italians made pizza. The only food I really enjoyed while in Italy was from a small Turkish restaurant that specialized in gyros. Sad huh? I recommend that people stick with Olive Garden and Pizza Hut. Americanized Italian food is much better than authentic Italian food.