Pasta - A Brief History
Nothing says Italy like its food and pasta is king. Whenever I think of Italian food, pasta is the first food that comes to mind. Wherever Italians have immigrated they have brought their pasta, and sauces, so today it has become an international staple. Pasta has been around for many, many hundreds of years. We have always been told that Marco Polo brought this food to Italy from China but this isn't the case. Pasta already existed in Italy before he took his famous trip.
The ancient Romans cooked a pasta called lagane (origin of the modern word for lasagna). It was a noodle made from the durum wheat, same wheat that is used today, but it was not boiled like pasta; it was cooked in an oven. Ancient lagane had some similarities to lasagna but it cannot be considered the pasta of today. Some have attributed the innovation of dried pasta, in the form of long thin noodles, we use today (spaghetti) to the Arabs who populated Southern Italy around the 12th Century. Prior to this, Italians ate their pasta freshly made in a gnocchi like form.
By the 1300's dried pasta was very popular for its long shelf life; making it ideal for long ocean voyages. Pasta made it around the globe during the voyages of discovery. By that time it had morphed into various shapes and sizes; however pasta had not yet "met its tomato".
Tomatoes were brought back to Europe from the New World shortly after its discovery. It took a long time for the people in Europe to accept it as it was thought to be poisonous because tomatoes are a member of the nightshade family. It was not until 1839 that the first pasta recipe using tomatoes was documented. The tomato quickly took hold in the South of Italy and the rest is delicious history.
Today the average Italian eats a whopping 60 pounds of pasta per person, compared to Americans who eat about twenty pounds each. The love of pasta has created a shortage of the durum wheat which means that today, outside of Italy, pasta is mass produced to fill the huge worldwide demand. This has taken some of the quality out of the original pasta products unless they have been made in Italy which clings to the time proved ingredients.
There are roughly 350 different shapes and varieties of dried pasta in Italy By Italian law dried pasta must be made with 100% durum semolina flour and water, a practice that all but the worst quality pasta makers worldwide have since adhered to. However, there are two factors in dried pasta from Italy that makes it typically better than most other products: extrusion and drying methods.
Mass produced pastas are dried at very high temperatures for a shorter time than quality pasta. Traditional pasta is allowed to dry slowly, up to 50 hours at a much lower temperature. It is after the pasta is fully dried that it is packaged. Fresh pasta, made that day, is a real treat. It is made to be eaten "soft" and it is made with slightly different ingredients. Fresh pasta is mostly served in Northern Italy.
Cook pasta only until it is al dente, firm to the teeth yet tender. Many of us cook pasta until it is too soft, a minute or two less of cooking time will give you great pasta. Fresh pasta will take even less cooking time. To cook pasta, use a large pot and plenty of water, add salt and maybe a dash of olive oil, stir to make sure all the pasta is evenly cooked, drain and add your favorite sauce. Delicious! |
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