Mamma Mia! Italians consider smothering pasta in ketchup to be the worst culinary horror, with putting pineapple on pizza a close second

Cream in carbonara sauce and throwing pasta against a wall also made the list 

Mamma mia! Italians are notoriously tetchy when it comes to Britons messing with their classic dishes – and smothering your pasta in ketchup tops the list of no-nos.

A whopping 78 per cent of Italians labelled it the worst culinary horror followed by pineapple on pizza (67 per cent), according to a poll.

The survey found there was a huge divide in how each country cooks and eats pasta, pizza and other staples, with Italians branding our efforts an ‘abomination’.

Italians have labelled tossing pasta in tomato ketchup as their worst culinary horror, with 78 per cent listing it as their biggest no-no

Pineapple on pizza came close second in the list, while serving the dish with garlic bread also annoyed 18 per cent of those surveyed

Throwing pasta at the wall to see if it sticks and is cooked (53 per cent) and putting cream in carbonara sauce (49 per cent) also made the top ten.

Serving garlic bread with pizza offended the least, but still annoyed 18 per cent of the Italians.

The study was carried out by Italian food firm Napolina.