The spaghetti durum wheat are an essential and versatile ingredient of Italian regional cuisine , as demonstrated by recipes famous both in Italy and in the rest of the world such as spaghetti alla carbonara, spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino, spaghetti cacio e pepe or the timeless spaghetti al pomodoro. Of this pasta, which lends itself well to a wide variety of sauces and condiments, there are currently about 200 variations, including thicker, thinner or rounded shapes (examples include linguine, ziti or spaghetti alla chitarra).

Despite its fame, the origin of spaghetti has long been debated and the various theories see the East and the West in opposition. Although the shape of spaghetti was born in China and the manufacturing process was partly taken from Arab cuisine, it is still Italy that deserves credit for having invented this dry pasta. Let's go over the history of spaghetti, between myths and curiosities .

The Ethnic Roots of Spaghetti

For years it was believed that the explorer Marco Polo brought spaghetti to Italy when he returned from his famous trip to China in 1295. Although this myth was incorrect, as it was based on an incorrect interpretation of his writings, it seems certain that the shape of spaghetti actually originated in the East , and in particular in Western Asia. It is said that in the area of present-day Pakistan, spaghetti (rice) was nothing other than the leftovers of dried pasta that was prepared for the sultan, and that only later was it recognized as a dish in itself and subsequently spread to India. The basic ingredient of spaghetti, durum wheat flour, also has exotic origins, already used by Arab countries to make couscous, as does the drying process that the Saracens probably exported to the Mediterranean basin, including Sicily . In short, the invention of our national spaghetti seems to have taken inspiration from the culinary uses and traditions of other countries, near and far.

The history of spaghetti Made in Italy

The first historical evidence regarding the spread of dried pasta in Italy and the existence of the pasta industry dates back to the 12th-13th century; it is in this period that different pasta shapes began to spread throughout the peninsula , including macaroni, ravioli and gnocchi. In the 14th century, pasta, and in particular a “tasty shape that rolls up”, was mentioned in Boccaccio 's Decameron, who probably learned about the term "Maccheroni" in Naples, where he stayed in 1348.

«and there was a mountain of grated Parmesan cheese,
on which were people who did nothing else but make macaroni and ravioli and cook them in capon broth, and then they threw them down from there, and whoever took more, the more
he had some»

Subsequently, pasta was cited by important writers, short story writers and poets, such as Franco Sacchetti did in the second half of the fourteenth century, in "The book of rhymes" (Biblioteca Medicea-Laurenziana in Florence)

«Lombard soups, married lasagna, sambucata pancakes»

It is likely, therefore, that the birth and spread of spaghetti dates back to the medieval period . At that time, pasta was very different from today's; in addition to being a dish for the rich, it was cooked for much longer and, above all, it was seasoned with bizarre ingredients with a sweet, salty or spicy flavour, including meat, fresh cheese, sugar, herbs and pepper. However, it was only in 1819 that the term " spaghetti " appeared for the first time in the Dictionary of the Italian language , a period in which this dish became a staple of the popular and traditional cuisine of Naples.



At that time, large landowners in the Kingdom of Naples or in Sicily sold wheat relatively cheaply and pasta, in addition to finally becoming more accessible, began to spread further as an ideal food for the days when, for religious reasons, the consumption of meat was prohibited. Furthermore, it was precisely in Naples that, in that period, this food revolution and increased agricultural production coincided with technological progress and the introduction of machinery such as the pasta press. In Naples, spaghetti was a dish loved by beggars or lazzaroni, as well as by the nobility and in particular by King Ferdinand IV of Naples.

A subsequent and significant step forward in the history of Italian cuisine in general and in that of spaghetti in particular, was the spread of tomato as a condiment for pasta . At the beginning of the 19th century, in fact, the iconic dish of spaghetti with San Marzano tomato sauce finally saw the light of day, a recipe published for the first time in 1844. Shortly after, thanks to migratory flows towards the United States of America, spaghetti set sail overseas, to then make its glorious appearance in the cinema of the 19th and early 20th centuries and become an internationally known dish.

by Ivana De Innocentis
Revised, corrected and expanded by the Tumn® Editorial Team