Pasta is a type of food made from a paste-type dough consisting of durum wheat flour, salt, and a liquid that may be in the form of water, milk or eggs. It is formed into different shapes and then boiled. Spaghetti, macaroni, and noodles are the most well know shapes.
Although popular legend claims Marco Polo introduced pasta to Italy following his exploration of the Far East in the late 13th century, pasta can be traced back as far as the 4th century B.C., where an Etruscan tomb showed a group of natives making what appears to be pasta.
The Chinese were making a noodle-like food as early as the 3re century B.C. and Greek mythology suggests that the Greek god Vulcan invented a device that made strings of dough – the first spaghetti!
Pasta made its way to the New World through the English, who discovered it while touring Italy. Colonists brought to America the English practice of cooking noodles at least one-half hour, then smothering them with cream sauce and cheese. Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States of America, is credited with bringing the first macaroni machine to America in 1789, when he returned home after serving as ambassador to France. The first industrial pasta factory in America was built in Brooklyn in 1848 by a Frenchman who spread his spaghetti strands on the roof to dry in the sunshine.
Pasta production expanded in the 19th century and pasta makers popped up across the world. Today, pasta remains a family favourite and is produced in countless shapes and sizes, with wheat, veggie, and gluten-free options all available.