The Chinese didn’t make the first pasta even though the oldest form of this type of food type was found in Lajia (China) in a bowl buried under muddy volcanic slush – it was made from millet flour that had been cultivated 7,000 years ago.  The Chinese pasta wasn’t even remotely like today’s pasta – but did prove a really high level of culinary skill.  Patrick McGovern (Archeochemist, University of Pennsylvania’s Museum of Archeology & Anthropology). The Chinese still make noodles today and it’s very much part of the Chinese culinary tradition – but it isn’t the Italian pasta.

In the Talmud, the writings of the ancient Greeks and the Etruscans,  pasta-like foodstuffs are mentioned and the most likely creators of something similar to the pasta we know today are the Arabs. The Romans could have had a valid claim since they roasted their laganon on stones that turn it into a bread dough of sorts. Al Idrisi, an Arab geographer, confirms that a flour-based pasta (string-like in shape) was made in Palermo by the Arabs during their rule.  To my mind, the discussion should be based on whether durum wheat, similar to the kind used today, was used or not as the very basis of pasta should be as simple as that. Italy produces the most durum wheat in the world and they started producing it first and whether the Arabs brought this dish to Italy (and I have every reason to believe they did) or not, it was the Italians or rather the Sicilians who made it in it’s current form first.

Marco Polo theory returned from his travels towards the end of the 11th century with records of pasta made from breadfruit!  The Napolitans invented and made the first pasta machine when King Ferdinand II of Naples was annoyed by how long it took his chefs, using their feet, to knead the dough! Since he was both impatient and had a voracious appetite he commanded it. The weather in Naples is perfect for drying large quantities of pasta and since Italian statutes decree that pasta may only contain semolina and water, the good dry weather is just what is needed! Even though Italy produces such a huge amount of durum wheat,  it isn’t sufficient for the ever increasing world demand. For this reason, production in the Ukraine and Volga River Valley was expanded to include Australia.

For fresh pasta  Emiglia Romagna in the north of Italy is a paradise for pasta lovers and it generally believed that the pasta from that part of the world is always better – smoother and without doubt much more pliable elastic.  Apart from the flat shapes, there are the ravioli, tortelli, tortellini, lasagne, anolini, cappelleti, cappellacci, agnolotti and so on. Over and above the pasta dishes, there are a myriad of possibilities and the torte salate (eg. erbazzone Regiano) stuffed with spinach as or the piadina (known as tigella in Romagna with parma ham instead of a sandwich or crescentina with your antipasti all make delicious meals.

Pasta can be divided into the following basic types:

• Pasta di semola di grano duro secca – dried, keeps for a long time if stored properly;
• Pastina – the small ones used in soup, loved by young children;
• Pasta lungha – like spaghetti
• Pasta glutinata – with added gluten for kids;
• Pasta corta – all the short dried ones
• Pasta all’uovo secca – dried, made from durum wheat and egg
• Pasta speciale – the flavoured ones, coloured ones and so on;
• Pasta di semola fresca – fresh made with durum wheat (like Sardinian malloreddus);
• Pasta all’uovo fresca – fresh pasta to be eaten fresh immediately;

BASIC PASTA DOUGH

Ingredients

• 500 grams flour
• 5 eggs
• pinch salt

Method

Use the well method, make dough and rest in the fridge or put the whole lot in your food processor, adding the eggs one by one, process until smooth and elastic, cover in cling wrap and rest for at least one hour.   And what to do when you’ve made enough dough for a legion? Make a torta salata!

ERBAZZONE REGIANO

Crust

• 300 grm flour
• Pinch salt
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 1 tbsp light extra virgin olive oil

Filling

• 1 kg spinach, cleaned
• 50 grm smoked ham
• 1 small garlic clove
• 1 tbsp finely chopped Italian parsley
• 1 large egg
• 4 – 5 tbsp excellent extra virgin olive oil
• 60 grm grated parmesan
• Pinch salt
• 2 tbsp melted butter

Method

• Make as you do pasta and leave to rest in a cool place.
• Blanche the clean spinach briefly, chop and add chopped ham.
• Saute briefly with crushed garlic and parsley for a few minutes and remove from heat.
• Whisk egg until foamy and stir egg and parmesan with salt and pepper to taste.
• Allow to cool.
• Brush springform pan with butter and line with dough, leaving enough for the top.
• Fill with spinach filling, press down and cover with rest of the dough to make a lid.
• Brush with the rest of the butter.
• Prick lid a few times and bake for about an hour in pre-heated 200 C oven.
• Enjoy and expect to fall in love.