Pasta, Industry Sector FOOD I (processed)

PASTA

"It will be maccheroni, I swear to you, that will unite Italy."

Giuseppe Garibaldi, on liberating Naples in 1860

HISTORY

1st Century  Apicius, a Roman writer describes a pasta made "to enclose timballi and pies..." These were called "lagana.' The recipe for the dough is not given, however there are suggestions for layering and seasoning with meat and fish.

5th Century The first certain record of noodles cooked by boiling is in the Jerusalem Talmud, written in Aramaic in the 5th century AD. The word used for the noodles was itriyah. More than likely, pasta was introduced during the Arab conquests of Sicily, carried in as a dry staple. The Arab geographer, Al Idrisi wrote that a flour-based product in the shape of strings was produced in Palermo, then an Arab colony.

13th Century The romantic myth that Marco Polo brought pasta on his return from China has long been debunked. Marco, returned in 1295 after twenty-odd years of travel away from Italy. In 1279, however, a Genoese soldier listed in the inventory of his estate a basket of dried pasta ('una bariscella plena de macaronis'). The Chinese are known to have been eating a "noodle-like food" as early as 3000 BC. Marco Polo describes a starchy product made from breadfruit - hardly durum wheat.

The first mention of a recipe is in the book "De arte Coquinaria per vermicelli e maccaroni siciliani" (The Art of Cooking Sicilian macaroni and Vermicelli). This was recorded by the chef to the Patriarch of Acquileia. The first historical references to dried pasta made in proportions large enough to be offered for sale are found in the city of Palermo.

14th and 15th Centuries Dried pasta became popular as it could be easily stored on ships, among them ones setting out to explore the New World. Various types of pasta, including long hollow tubes, are mentioned in the 15th Century records of Italian and Dominican monasteries.

16th century The Spanish brought their food discoveries back to the old world. Among the rich assortment of foodstuffs that were to become permanent fixtures in the old world was the tomato. The tomatoes may have been a pale variety as they were given the name 'golden apple' (pomo d'oro) by a Sienese botanist, Pietro Andrea Mattioli. The tomato was born to meet pasta as any Italian might have guessed, and tomato sauce altered the history of pasta forever.

17th Century Pasta had become part of the daily diet throughout Italy because it was economical, readily available and versatile. In Naples, population growth was aggravating the problems of food accessibility, until a small technological revolution (the spread of the kneading machine and the invention of the mechanical press) made it possible to produce pasta at a much lower price. Pasta thus became the food of the people. Naples's vicinity to the sea (as was the case of Liguria and Sicily) facilitated drying, a process which allowed pasta to be conserved for an extended period of time.

18th century In Naples, pasta was made by mixing semolina dough by foot. The pasta maker sat on a long bench and used his feet to mix and knead the dough. The king of Naples, Ferdinando II, was not happy with this method of pasta-making and hired a famous engineer (Cesare Spadaccini) to improve the procedure. The new system consisted of adding boiling water to freshly-ground flour, and kneading by foot was replaced by a machine made of bronze that perfectly imitated the work done by man. In 1740, the city of Venice issued Paolo Adami a license to open the first pasta factory. The machinery was simple enough. It consisted of an iron press, powered by several young boys. In 1763, the Duke of Parma, Don Ferdinando of Bourbon, gave Stefano Lucciardi of Sarzana the right to a 10 year-monopoly for the production of dried pasta - "Genoa-style" - in the city of Parma.

1789 During Thomas Jefferson's years as American Ambassador to France, he developed the gourmet tastes that would lead him to plant vineyards, and to garden extensively at Monticello. On his return in 1789, he brought the first "maccaroni" maker to America. Since he fed mostly his friends and acquaintances, his import was not a defining moment in history, but he was fascinated enough with the tasty noodles to invent a pasta machine of his own. Though he had a personal taste for pasta, it was first produced commercially by a Frenchman in Brooklyn.

1839 The first recipe for tomatoes with pasta was written when Ippolito Cavalcanti, Duke of Buonvicino, offered a recipe for 'vermicelli co le pommodoro.' A mere thirty years later, La Cuciniera Genovese offered recipes for purées, soups, distinctly different sauces for meats, chicken, veal and pasta. Tomatoes had arrived. Until the advent of tomato sauce, pasta was eaten dry with the fingers. Many believe that the liquid sauce demanded the use of a fork, and the manners of the common man were changed. A simple noodle shaped the history of manners as well as the history of food.

19th Century Die makers, capable of crafting absolutely perfect holes in the bronze disk that closed the pasta press, realized that they could shake up the market by changing the dies and inventing new, imaginative shapes. A pasta factory offered an assortment that ranged from 150 to 200 different shapes.

1900s Macaroni and cheese was a popular dish in America at the time of the Civil War, however, the huge Italian immigration that entered the US around the 1900's brought the popular spaghetti dishes we eat today, mostly from the Campania area. Sicilians who followed the Campanians found it difficult to get the ingredients they used at home, and adapted the the Campanian methods of cooking.

1904-14 Artificial drying in air-conditioned environments made pasta available in all the regions of Italy, and people began to refer to the pasta industry. The wheat most beloved by pasta makers was the Taganrog variety, the unsurpassed durum wheat imported from Russia. The port of Taganrog, in Crimea, shipped off the wheat that the Ligurian and Neapolitan pasta-makers preferred. Actually, they couldn't do without it. An old brochure for a Ligurian pasta factory - at a time in which half of its production was destined for the state of New York alone - talks about "Pasta of Taganrog."

1917 Fereol Sandragne patented the first system for continuous pasta production.

TYPES OF PASTA

casarecci = cesariccia   These are short lengths of rolled and twisted Italian pasta.   They're usually served with meat sauces.	cavatelli    Cavatelli has two meanings.  It usually refers to small pasta shells that resemble tiny hot dog buns and are often served with thick, chunky sauces or in pasta salads.   The name is less commonly used for a type of dumpling made with ricotta cheese.	conchiglie = pasta shells = pipe rigate = maruzze    This Italian pasta resembles conch shells.  It's often served with tomato or meat sauces, or in pasta salads.  A smaller version for soups is called conchigliette, while larger, stuffable shells are called conchiglioni.	conchiglioni = jumbo shells = giant shells  Pasta shaped like conch shells come in various sizes; this is the largest.  It's often stuffed and baked.
creste di galli   This version of Italian pasta is shaped like creste di galli ("cockscomb" in Italian).	farfalle = bow ties = bow-tie pasta = bows =  butterfly pasta    This Italian pasta resembles bow ties or butterflies.   It's often served with chunky sauces or in pasta salads.  A smaller version is called farfallini, while a larger version is called farfallone.	fusilli = corkscrew pasta = pasta twists  This is a type of Italian pasta that's shaped like either like screws or springs.  This is a good choice for pasta salads and casseroles, or for serving with hearty, thick sauces.  A long version of the spring-shaped fusilli is called fusilli col buco.	fusilli col buco = fusilli bucati lunghi  This is a long version of the spring-shaped fusilli.
gemelli   The name means "twins" in Italian.  These are short rods twisted together in a spiral pattern.  They're great with any sauce, or in pasta salads or casseroles.	gigli = riccioli = campanelle  This Italian pasta consists of flower shapes (gigli is Italian for "lilies").  It's good with chunky sauces.	gnocchetti   This Italian pasta is made to look like gnocchi, the popular potato dumplings.  To confuse matters, a larger version of gnocchetti is also called gnocchi.  Both sizes are good with thick sauces.	gramigna  These are small curls of Italian pasta that are good with light sauces.
lumache   Lumache (Italian for "snails") are shells that are often served with chunky sauces.  A larger shell, called lumaconi, is usually stuffed and baked.	malloreddus = gnocchetti sardi     This Sardinian pasta is very similar to gnocchetti, except that it's often flavoured with saffron.	maltagliati   Maltagliati means "poorly cut" in Italian, and the name is used for various kinds of pasta scraps.	orecchiette   These "little ears" are pieces of Italian pasta shaped like tiny ears or bowls.
quadrefiore	radiatori    A type of Italian pasta, these resemble small radiators.  The "grills" do a good job of scooping up chunky sauces.	ruote = ruotine = wagon wheels = wheels = ruote de carro     These are shaped like wagon wheels, and they're great with chunky sauces or in pasta salads.	rotini = rotelle = spirals = twists     These pasta shapes look like short springs made from spaghetti.  They're good with chunky sauces, or in pasta salads.
spiralini  These are spring-shaped lengths of Italian pasta.  They're good with chunky sauces, or in pasta salads.  A larger version is called spirali.	strozzapreti = strozzapretti  The name means "priest strangler" in Italian, and it refers to a pasta shape that resembles a rolled towel.	torchio   These pasta shapes resemble torches, the better to scoop up chunky sauces.	trenne  This Italian pasta is triangular, and cut into short lengths.  It's good with chunky sauces or in casseroles.
trennette   This triangular Italian pasta is similar to trenne, only smaller.  Don't confuse this with trenette, which is a long ribbon of pasta.	troffiette  A Ligurian specialty, these are small, twisted bits of pasta.  They're often served with pesto.

Crazy Facts Corner

• The word pasta comes from the Italian word for paste, meaning a combination of flour and water. The term pasta has always been used on Italian restaurant menus to include all the various pasta offerings.

• The Pope set quality standards for pasta in the 13^th century.

• According to legend, noodles were first made by German bakers in the 13^th century. They moulded dough into symbolic shapes, such as stars, swords and birds, which they then baked and served as bread.

• Speaking of spaghetti … and meatballs: the Italians only ate meat a few times a month. So, when they came to America, where meat was plentiful, they incorporated meat into their cooking more often, making meatballs an American invention.

Links:

http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/FOOD_IS_ART/pasta/historypasta.html 

http://www.lapiazzaonline.com/pasta.htm

http://www.foodsubs.com/PastaShapes.html

http://www.knet.co.za/pastayvette/trivia.htm

Researched by Angua-