Long pasta, short pasta, pasta that can be stuffed, pasta for soups- the uses for pasta are endless! Coming in a variety of useful shapes means the ability to stuff, layer or otherwise offer versatility in recipe invention. A Brief History of Pasta Shapes & Sizes. There are over 600 pasta shapes, each with a delicious purpose.

The history of pasta is difficult to trace for several reasons. The History of Pasta Origins Although popular legend claims Marco Polo introduced pasta to Italy following his exploration of the Far East in the late 13th century, pasta can be traced back as far as the 4th century B.C., where an Etruscan tomb showed a group of natives making what appears to be pasta. By that time different shapes of pasta have appeared and new technology made pasta easier to make.

Some pasta varieties are uniquely regional and not widely known; many types have different … The word itself translates to paste in Italian. Everything from bacon and steak to asparagus and peas can be part of a great pasta recipe.

Several well-known types include stringy spaghetti, tube-like rigatoni, shell-shaped cavatelli, and stuffed ravioli, among others. There are some shapes and sizes that are better suited for holding sauces in their ridges, while others are better for baked dishes.
Pasta literally comes in hundreds of shapes and sizes, all with varying origin stories. However the next big advancement in the history of pasta would not come until the 19th century when pasta met tomatoes. Just in case you were having sleepless nights concerning the birthplace of pasta, the esteemed food critic, Oretta Zanini de Vita confirms that there were records of pasta in Italy 500 years before Marco Polo returned from China; so pasta was, in fact, invented in Italy. Pasta Sauce, pasta, italian food. With these innovations pasta truly became a part of Italian life. Pasta, almost alone among foods, goes well with a huge variety of other ingredients. The History of Pasta Shapes – The Italian People and Pasta.