The origins of pasta are not very clear, and depend greatly on how you define pasta; therefore there is much debate regarding who “invented” pasta. It is known that many different cultures ate some sort of noodle-like food, composed mostly of grain. The key components of pasta are durum wheat and semolina. Here is what we do know.
Legend has it that Marco Polo introduced pasta to Italy following his exploration of the Far East in the late 13th century but we can trace pasta back as far as the fourth century B.C. There are Italian recipe books from twenty years earlier containing references to pasta dishes. Although, it is a fact that he did come across pasta throughout his journeys.
The Chinese were making a noodle-like food as early as 3000 B.C. Since China is an ancient civilization, with a complex culture dating back 5,000 years, it's likely that pasta existed in China very early. Pasta including durum wheat as it is known today, was introduced by Arabs during their conquest of Sicily in the late 7th century, thus predating Marco Polo's travels to China by about six centuries. However, these noodles lacked the durum wheat semolina that is characteristic to the pasta we know today. It is also suggested that Greeks first invented the noodle machine.It is certain that the ancient Greeks had some form of flattened dough that resembles lasagna.
No matter its origins, pasta did become more popular during the 14th century and spread to the 'New World' as explorers sailed the seas to colonize new territories. In the 'Old World' it continued to spread, with tubes of pasta in use at 15th century Italian monasteries. By the 17th century, it was a common food throughout the region.
The first industrial pasta factory in America was built in Brooklyn in 1848 by, of all people, a Frenchman, who spread his spaghetti strands on the roof to dry in the sunshine. Pasta grew in popularity in the ‘New World” especially throughout the 18th century. Colonists brought to America the English practice of cooking noodles at least one half hour, then smothering them with cream sauce and cheese. It is Thomas Jefferson who is credited with bringing the first macaroni machine to North America.
The Chinese were making a noodle-like food as early as 3000 B.C. Since China is an ancient civilization, with a complex culture dating back 5,000 years, it's likely that pasta existed in China very early. Pasta including durum wheat as it is known today, was introduced by Arabs during their conquest of Sicily in the late 7th century, thus predating Marco Polo's travels to China by about six centuries. However, these noodles lacked the durum wheat semolina that is characteristic to the pasta we know today. It is also suggested that Greeks first invented the noodle machine.It is certain that the ancient Greeks had some form of flattened dough that resembles lasagna.
No matter its origins, pasta did become more popular during the 14th century and spread to the 'New World' as explorers sailed the seas to colonize new territories. In the 'Old World' it continued to spread, with tubes of pasta in use at 15th century Italian monasteries. By the 17th century, it was a common food throughout the region.
The first industrial pasta factory in America was built in Brooklyn in 1848 by, of all people, a Frenchman, who spread his spaghetti strands on the roof to dry in the sunshine. Pasta grew in popularity in the ‘New World” especially throughout the 18th century. Colonists brought to America the English practice of cooking noodles at least one half hour, then smothering them with cream sauce and cheese. It is Thomas Jefferson who is credited with bringing the first macaroni machine to North America.
