Pasta’s history can be traced through many cultures and continents, from Asia to Africa to the Middle East, reaching back at least 3500 years. Despite its many forms and the countless texts in which it has appeared, pasta seems to be universally associated with Italy. According to history, however, pasta’s earliest roots begin in China, during the Shang Dynasty (1700-1100 BC), where some form of pasta was made with either wheat or rice flour. Pasta also appears to be a feature in the ancient Greek diet in the first millennium BC. Likewise, Africa had its form of pasta made with the kamut crop.
As early as the fourth century BC, the story of pasta takes shape in Italy. There is archeological evidence for the existence of pasta in the Etruscan civilization, which flourished in the regions we now call Lazio, Umbria, and Tuscany. A bas-relief unearthed in an Etruscan tomb depicts tools and kitchen utensils used to roll and form pasta very similar to those still in use today. A lucky find for anthropology, but a sad blow to the legend of Marco Polo, which claims he was the one who introduced pasta to Europe after his adventures in the Far East. He may have brought some unusual noodles back with him, but it was certainly not the first time Italians had ever seen such food.
Like much of Italian culture, pasta as a culinary art form flourished during the Renaissance. By the 14th century, pasta had become a staple in Rome and Florence. In later centuries, as it became available in dried forms and sold in shops, pasta grew more and more popular, until by the 19th century, it achieved a presence and stature in Italian cuisine that continues to evolve to the present day. The extraordinary variety and sophistication of pasta dishes now – from Bucatini alla Amatriciana to Linguine al Pesto are part of a century-long evolution. Though Italians cannot claim to have invented pasta, it’s clear they took to the creation with unparalleled joy, passion, and inventiveness, developing an entire culture and cuisine around it, which is now recognized worldwide.