Would there been a competition for most debated origins, pasta would surely be a strong contender for the title. However interesting, sadly, most stories are highly improbable and are rather a result of some prominent local cooks’ desire to present themselves as true descendants of the inventors of one of the world’s most popular foods.

One version points to the Ancient Greeks as the inventors of pasta

and, more specifically, the limping Hephaestus, the Blacksmith Of The Gods. He found a way to make dough into thin sticks, thus creating the predecessors of modern spaghetti. It’s interesting to note that the word pasta has Greek origins and translates as “grits-like dish made of barley”. But if we dig down in the works of ancient authors – like Ovidius, for example, we’ll be disappointed to find that none of them mentioned even a word about the Hephaestus’ culinary experiment.

It is well known that pasta and Italy are literally made for each other.

Even though pasta is known and loved all over the world, there’s no other place with such a variety and passion for it as Italy. Contrary to this, however, macaroni do not originate in Italy, but Asia. They had existed in Asia hundreds of years b.c. The claim that pasta was invented 3,000 years b.c. in China is also not very plausible. It might be true that the citizens of the Celestial Empire created thin crust dry dough, but they didn’t do so until 1st century a.d. and it wasn’t before 2nd century a.d. that pasta entered the Royal Palace and became favorite staple of the Court.

The proponents for the Apennine origins of pasta

try to convince us, citing as evidence the frescos at the Etruscan tomb near Certeverti, dating back to 4th century b.c. which depicts all that was needed to prepare quality pasta – from the dough to the rolling board, to the cutting knife. But since those can have various other applications and until certain archeological proof can be found, Etruscans should not be proclaimed pasta inventors…

The same can be said about the Ancient Romans, too.

Some enthusiasts claim that when Horace described his supper of a bowl of lettuce, chickpeas and lagano, by “lagano” he actually meant lasagna. But similarity between two words is not enough of a proof. And we’re yet to find a Roman cookbook where lagano is described in detail.

The gourmand Apicius, author of the world’s first cookbook – De Re Coquinaria (On The Subject Of Cooking) – offers readers a long list of exquisite recipes, in some of which the lagana is mentioned. Yet, this otherwise meticulous foodie, who always describes in minute detail the preparation of each element of a recipe, somehow fails to inform his readers how lagana is actually made. Which, in turn, leads us to believe that this is simply a name of a basic product (like cabbage or carrot), which we know nothing about.

Pasta as we know it today

originates in Italy in the 12th century. Rome is the home of the only pasta museum in the world. The origins of pasta remain unclear and this might never change. It is entirely possible it was invented independently at several places.