Artisanal pasta

Pasta is a food made from a mixture of flour (primarily durum wheat) and water, and can be fresh or dried. Its etymology derives from the Latin păsta, which in turn comes from the Greek πάστη (pástē), meaning "flour mixed with water and salt." Its origins are very ancient, with evidence dating back to the Neolithic Age, although the forms most similar to modern pasta developed first in China and the Mediterranean basin (Greece, Etruria, Rome).

• Composition: A mixture of flour (primarily durum wheat semolina) and water.
• Shape: It can be shaped into various shapes, such as strands (spaghetti, vermicelli), strips (lasagna), or filled elements (tortellini, ravioli).
• Types: It is mainly divided into fresh pasta and dried pasta, the latter characterized by a long shelf life.

• Neolithic: The first forms of consumption of a mixture of crushed seeds and water date back to the Neolithic Age, about 9,000 years ago, as evidenced by the production of flatbreads or "puls."
• Ancient Greece and Rome: Pasta forms, such as lagana, were consumed, which were sheets of pasta cooked in water or fried, similar to today's lasagna.
• China: Archaeologically, pasta forms dating back 4,000 years have been found in China, made from corn and other grains.
• Sicily and the Arabs: It is very likely that the Arabs brought the technique of dried pasta to Sicily, which proved essential for food supplies during their journeys through the desert.

• Middle Ages: Between 1200 and 1300, dried pasta was already a popular food in central and northern Italy, as evidenced by documents from Genoa and Pisa.
• Origin of Dried Pasta in Italy: The Arabs introduced dried pasta, such as "vermicelli," a type of long pasta, to Sicily.
• Naples: In Naples, pasta became a mass-produced food in the late 1500s, thanks to kiosks and ease of consumption, and was paired with tomatoes in the 19th century.