The History of Pasta

As the world becomes more and more interconnected, we increasingly look to our foods to define traditions, culture, and heritage. In few places is this as true as Italy, where the rule of food is law. Of course, few foods define Italian life as greatly as pasta. In fact, the average Italian eats roughly 51 pounds of pasta every single year. Some argue that there is evidence that pasta existed in pre-Roman Italy, some that argue that it was brought over from China by the Venetian traveller Marco Polo or that it made its way to Italy from the Mediterranean by the Arabs.

It’s almost impossible to find someone who doesn’t like pasta. It comes in various different shapes and sizes catering to different preferences. This integrant Italian dish has become a staple in households around the world, with some countries even having their own version of the dish. While we can agree that pasta is delicious, the roots behind pasta are not only interesting but still up for debate.

Pasta is actually Italian for ‘paste’ getting its name from the paste-like texture of the dough when it is first mixed. Unlike Asian noodles, pasta is made from the flour of durum wheat and water or eggs. This type of dough is high in gluten and low in moisture, which gives pasta the ability to be dried and then later become soft again after being boiled. This process of making pasta is inherently Italian and stands out from how the rest of the world was making their own version of noodles.

Although hard to believe, Italians did not like tomatoes pre-pasta, they were considered too sweet and exotic. It actually wasn’t until the 19th century when the first recipe appeared for the most common pasta dish we all know and love today, spaghetti in tomato sauce. It only makes sense that the Italians combined the two, the warm climate of the Mediterranean is perfect for growing tomatoes, herbs and other fresh vegetables and only meant that it was inevitable that they would start testing out different ways to enjoy pasta with a variety of sauces.Being served fresh, homemade pasta by someone in Italy shows a great deal of respect and shows they take a high level of pride in their cooking.

Now that you know about the history of pasta, we know you have a hankering for a delicious bowl of it. Make sure to check out and order our round-up of our mouth-watering and delicious pasta dishes from Tuck Shop here at Pimento.in