The Guardian's Pass Notes column examines "pasta windows" – the increasingly common sight, especially in Rome and Florence, of someone (often an older woman) making fresh pasta by hand in a restaurant's street-facing window. While the display might appear to be an authentic slice of Italian culinary heritage, several Italians in the food industry warn it is actually a red flag for tourist-trap restaurants rather than genuine tradition.

The piece cites Rome food-tour guide Sophie Minchilli, who told the Washington Post the trend is "wrong", and Neapolitan chef Michele Pascarella, who told Metro that a proper Italian restaurant would never display pasta-making in its window, calling such places "kitschy" rather than authentic. The article, written in a playful Q&A style, likens the practice to putting someone on display "zoo-like" and lists other tourist-trap warning signs, including staff aggressively touting laminated, photo-heavy menus, and large restaurants packed with tourists but few locals. It suggests instead venturing away from main streets or beaches and asking locals for genuine recommendations.