it is true, at the end italians can cook pretty well.
At the base of the cuisine there is the fried onion, you have got to do it whit a very low fire, it must not burn, then after you put potatoes in it and you let it shrink slowly whit a little of salt, then you can add everything else and put on the pasta you cooked apart.
ps: blonde onion is better for this purpose, but this time i had only red one that i mainly use for salades