Italians eat so much pasta and not get fat due to controlling their portions, the quality of ingredients and also through mindful eating habits.
In Italy, pasta is not the main event of the day or main food of the day and instead pasta in Italy is just a small, early course balanced by proteins, vegetables and even daily walking routines.
An authentic serving of Italian pasta is often much smaller than a serving of American pasta, which is often around 2 to 3 ounces of cooked pasta.
The pasta in Italy is also cooked until it's firm to the bite, which also lowers it's glycemic index and so the pasta in Italy digests slower, keeps you feeling longer and prevents sharp spikes in your blood sugar.
Italian pasta dishes often also avoid use of heavy creams and added sugars and they are also often simply tossed with extra virgin olive oil, fresh tomatoes, garlic and vegetables.
Meals in Italy are also structured sequentially, and you eat a small pasta dish also known as primo, which is followed by a protein and vegetable (secondo and contorno) rather than piling everything onto one massive plate.
And most Italians also maintain active lifestyles and heavily incorporate walking into their daily routines for commuting and socializing and in Italy, it's a cultural staple to take a stroll or passeggiata after a heavy meal, which aids in digestion.
Also many people who eat pasta in Italy find that the Italian pasta does not bother there stomach like American pasta does, because pasta in Italy is made of ingredients that are purer as well as Italy has tighter food regulators, slower processing methods and even traditional cooking styles liking cooking the pasta all dente.
Traditional Italian pasta is also gentler on digestion and less likely to cause inflammation, unlike the highly refined mass produced pastas, that are often found in the United States and some other countries.
Italy also mainly uses high quality, non bleached durum wheat for making pasta.
Pastas made in the United states are often enriched with synthetic additives and also bleached, which can also be harder to digest.
And the European regulations also largely restrict the use of any pesticides like glyphosate.
And many of the American mass produced wheats are treated with pesticides like glyphosate, which are often linked to gut inflammation.
And traditional Italian pasta is also slowly dried at lower temperatures, which can sometime be as long as 72 hours, which helps to preserve it's natural starches and gluten structure, and makes it highly digestible.
Italians often cook their pasta slightly firm, also known as al dente.
Cooking the pasta to al dente or slightly firm, helps prevent the starches from fully gelatinizing and allows your body to digest the carbohydrates much slower.
And in Italy, pasta is often also eaten in smaller portions alongside of fresh, local ingredients and is often a single course.
Also if you do a lot of walking and stay active in Italy, it also keeps your blood sugar stable and digestion moving.