The Italian Job!

Maximus

Gold Member
Works night out - 2 weeks tonight (Saturday Night) at local Italian restaurant. I always feel out of control and paranoid when eating out so can anyone suggest/advise please?

The starter chooses itself - foregoing garlic bread or garlic mushrooms in garlic & wine sauce or paté and toast, bruschetta etc. I've decided on the simple Tomato & red onion salad.

I'm not a lover of pizza, so looking at the pasta options, not sure about Penne Arrabiata, Penne Vegetariana, Penne Boscaiolo, Penne Diavola or penne Salmone.

Any of the above better or more SW friendly than another?

Alternatively, there's chicken options;

Chicken Napoli, Arriabiatta or pancetta.

I've never had any of the above, but fortunately have no dislike and willing to try any.

The final option is steak. Grilled sirloin with tomato and mushroom. or Al Aglio (with veg instead of chips)

Not exactly Italian, but healthy!

Please help me out folks as spag bol, lasagne, meatballs or pizza and a ton of garlic bread would have been my idea of Italian previously.

Saluti!
 
Hi maximus personally I would go with the steak and ask them how it is cooked and ask for no oil to be added to the meal. Then if the meat is lean you should be OK. Hope this helps
 
Buongiorno Maximus!

Oooo I love everything Italian - slowly trying to learn the lingo too for the day that OH says 'that's it, we're moving to Italy'! I've had a look at a couple of the things you've mentioned above, and whilst all restaurants have their own variations, the below should give you a better idea of what to go for...

Penne Arrabiatta - short pasta tubes served with a fresh tomato and hot chilli sauce with chopped fresh basil leaves

Penne Diavola - penne pasta with spicy pepperoni tossed in a rich tomato sauce with garlic and chilli.

Boscialo - mushrooms and cream

Penne salmone - penne pasta in a creamy sauce with smoked salmon and cherry tomatoes

Chicken Napoli - Chicken breast with a tomato and mushroom sauce

Chicken Arrabiata - griddled butterfly chicken breast served with a spicy sauce of tomatoes and chilli on a bed of penne
pasta

Ciao!
xxx
 
Grazie cara signora!

I was not sure and eliminated most of the stuff with cream sauces etc. - as usual it is the sauces which tend to hurt you.

I just felt the steak was about as non-Italian as I could get lol.

This is why I detest eating out of late as I have little or no "true" idea of what I am eating and feel out of control.

That's the problem with being 100%:mad:
 
Personally I would go with the Chicken Arrabiata, sounds nice and still italian, wouldnt imagine there could be much in the way of syns in it
 
Thanks people. I have steak (fillet) at least once per week anyway.

I'll brush up on my italian to add to the ambience but I just know the waiter will be Sunderland born and bred. bet he's still called Luigi though:eek:
 
Thanks people. I have steak (fillet) at least once per week anyway.

I'll brush up on my italian to add to the ambience but I just know the waiter will be Sunderland born and bred. bet he's still called Luigi though:eek:

Sounds entertaining!! lol

I can never find any decent steak :-( maybe I should try the butchers instead of supermarket
 
I love Italian food :D Hope you enjoy your meal out!

Got some syn values from the 2009 food directory and syns online, hope they are of some help, I couldnt find the syn value for penne arrabiata :( but wouldnt have thought it was too high in syns

Vegetable lasagne 7 syns on green/EE
Ravioli, Beef 7 syns on green/EE
Ravioli, 4 cheese 8 syns on green/EE
Spaghetti bolognese 7.5 syns on green/EE
Chicken cacciatore 8.5 syns on red/EE
 
Sounds entertaining!! lol

I can never find any decent steak :-( maybe I should try the butchers instead of supermarket

Try fillet steak - it is the only one I can enjoy - not the cheapest but certainly the best as far as I'm concerned.

The other cuts may well be very nice if cooked by a proper chef, but having tried a few, fillet is the only one I will bother with.
I love Italian food :D Hope you enjoy your meal out!

Got some syn values from the 2009 food directory and syns online, hope they are of some help, I couldnt find the syn value for penne arrabiata :( but wouldnt have thought it was too high in syns

Thanks - I think the Arribiatta will do alongwith a "quiet word" with my server lol.

Steve
Vegetable lasagne 7 syns on green/EE
Ravioli, Beef 7 syns on green/EE
Ravioli, 4 cheese 8 syns on green/EE
Spaghetti bolognese 7.5 syns on green/EE
Chicken cacciatore 8.5 syns on red/EE
 
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