Giada De Laurentiis smiling while stirring a bowl of food and handing a dish to the camera. – Ethan Miller/Getty Images
You may have heard someone say (or maybe experienced yourself) that when dining in Italy, the pasta doesn’t cause bloating the way it does in the United States. Italian-American chef Giada De Laurentiis, who produces her own pasta line through her brand, Giadzy, recently shared her theory on why that might be on the “No Matcha No Mama” podcast.
According to De Laurentiis, multiple factors are involved, beginning with the wheat. She explained how imported pasta from her brand (and others) is single sourced from Abruzzo, an agriculturally focused region in Italy known for producing high-quality durum wheat semolina for pasta. Because the wheat is grown, milled, and processed locally, it’s often fresher and retains more of its natural structure with nutrients that aid in digestion.
In contrast, wheat used in American-made pasta is typically mass-produced, leading to shortcuts which affect quality. The grain is often blended for consistency and undergoes more intensive refinement during processing. This processing initially strips away much of its nutritional components before having them fortified back in via supplements, all of which can contribute to bloating caused from indigestion.
Differences also extend to shaping and drying. De Laurentiis explained how most Italian-made pasta is formed using bronze dies — metal plates that carefully shape pasta. In America, she says, producers often use plastic instead to increase the output. But hot plastic can leach microplastics into food, which studies show are linked to gut inflammation and bloating. De Laurentiis added that Italian pasta is slow-dried, while American pasta is rapidly dried as part of mass-production, a process that can create thermal shock; tightening the gluten structure and making digestion more difficult.
Read more: 11 Differences Between US And European Restaurants You Need To Know Before Traveling
Before you blame the pasta for the bloating
Young woman enjoying bowl of pasta outside at a cafe in what looks like a European setting. – maxbelchenko/Shutterstock
Giada De Laurentiis thinks most Americans overlook certain aspects of Italian food, and one of them is how it’s eaten. While she supports the idea that how Italian pasta is made impacts digestion, she also believes how it’s eaten plays a role — especially when you’re on vacation. She notes, “You probably moved more on that vacation, and you probably had a really great mindset when you were eating it, and you were enjoying yourself.” It may sound a bit “woo-woo,” but she’s not wrong. Scientific research frequently shows the brain and gut are in constant communication with one another — a relationship that can and does influence digestion, including symptoms like bloating.
De Laurentiis closed the pasta conversation by acknowledging that no single factor — ingredient sourcing, processing methods, or the way it’s enjoyed — is responsible for why some individuals experience less bloating when eating Italian-made pasta versus American-made. It’s important to note that pasta in general, regardless of where it’s from, is predominantly made from carbohydrates, which naturally hold onto water in the body and can cause temporary bloating, especially when eating larger portions of it.
For those who experience more severe bloating even when eating smaller portions of pasta, it may be worth paying attention to ingredient quality (like what De Laurentiis recommends looking for when buying store-bought pasta) and slowing down during meals, both of which she suggests could make a difference. That said, persistent symptoms may point to something else entirely and are best diagnosed by a medical professional.
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