According to The Connecticut Law Tribune, Sweeney was having an argument with another man at Roma’s Ristorante in Oakville, Connecticut when he tossed the pasta. She was walking by when the bowl “struck her about the head and face, causing the spicy sauce to drip down her head onto her face and in her eyes and further causing her to fall striking her head.”
The pasta was served with a fra diavolo sauce, which as an Italian I can attest is indeed quite spicy and often includes hot peppers (hence the name “Devil Monk”). Indeed, I make a similar sauce for my family though I use a more traditional form of service.
It could be worse. The Napolitans serve dishes that seem designed for battery on a plate like Paccheri, or “slaps” pasta.
In the complaint, she alleged both negligence and battery.