Favorite Word: Scarpetta

Vincenzo | Posted on October 17, 2023
Scarpetta, from Italian. Meaning the act of scooping up leftover sauce with bread. Beside the English definition is a plate of pasta with red sauce and two pieces of bread, one of which is broken in half directly over the pasta sauce

Scarpetta

While there is no true English equivalent to this word, scarpetta literally translates to "little shoe." This is one of my favorite words because it defines the beauty of the Italian language, which stems from being often very metaphorical and poetic. In this case, like how a shoe picks up whatever it drags across the ground, the bread mops up whatever is remaining on one's plate. It is a fun idiom capturing Italians' passion and pride for their cuisine!

– Vincenzo