Italian Food
The History of Pasta in Italy
Homemade…Tradition…Family…Have you ever wondered about the history of pasta? Italian pasta has influenced the Italian culture because of its rich history, connection to family, and contribution to the world. These are some of the things that effected the invention of pasta. Pasta was not invented in Italy, although many say that Marco Polo brought it back there on his voyage from China which is incorrect. According to Life in Italy, a news article about the history of pasta, they present that Marco Polo rediscovered the food that was once popular in Italy during Etruscan and Roman times (Demetri1). “There is some evidence of an Etrusco-Roman noodle made from the same durum wheat as modern pasta called ‘lagane’ which is now known as lasagna. This food was first mentioned in the 1st century” (Demetri1). This proves that there is no known exact source for the first creator of pasta. Pasta is prepared in many ways. With there being many different forms of pasta everyone who makes pasta prepares it different. The most well known form of pasta is spaghetti, but in other forms pasta is well known too. For example there are other types of pasta like ziti, or ravioli (Jones). Originally pasta recipes of the past involved small, fine pasta such as vermicelli (an extremely thin spaghetti type pasta) that were cooked in soups, broths or in almond milk to create a gruel or mush (Jones). Since pasta and flour were considered food for the rich, when pasta was available, it was put in the soups for more use (Kummer). Now Italian pasta has been nationalized and is sold in many countries. As pasta continues to increase in popularity the National Pasta Foods Association estimates that the average person will eat more than 29 pounds of pasta each year by the turn of the century (Kummer). Pasta is highly rated for its nutritional value and is also an ideal meal for people who are paying more attention to their dietary intake (Kummer).
Homemade…Tradition…Family…Have you ever wondered about the history of pasta? Italian pasta has influenced the Italian culture because of its rich history, connection to family, and contribution to the world. These are some of the things that effected the invention of pasta. Pasta was not invented in Italy, although many say that Marco Polo brought it back there on his voyage from China which is incorrect. According to Life in Italy, a news article about the history of pasta, they present that Marco Polo rediscovered the food that was once popular in Italy during Etruscan and Roman times (Demetri1). “There is some evidence of an Etrusco-Roman noodle made from the same durum wheat as modern pasta called ‘lagane’ which is now known as lasagna. This food was first mentioned in the 1st century” (Demetri1). This proves that there is no known exact source for the first creator of pasta. Pasta is prepared in many ways. With there being many different forms of pasta everyone who makes pasta prepares it different. The most well known form of pasta is spaghetti, but in other forms pasta is well known too. For example there are other types of pasta like ziti, or ravioli (Jones). Originally pasta recipes of the past involved small, fine pasta such as vermicelli (an extremely thin spaghetti type pasta) that were cooked in soups, broths or in almond milk to create a gruel or mush (Jones). Since pasta and flour were considered food for the rich, when pasta was available, it was put in the soups for more use (Kummer). Now Italian pasta has been nationalized and is sold in many countries. As pasta continues to increase in popularity the National Pasta Foods Association estimates that the average person will eat more than 29 pounds of pasta each year by the turn of the century (Kummer). Pasta is highly rated for its nutritional value and is also an ideal meal for people who are paying more attention to their dietary intake (Kummer).