Even though there are numerous opinions as to the origin of pasta, (which Italians refer to as pasta – spaghetti; Americans as spaghetti - noodles – macaroni; British as pasta – macaroni; Germans as teigwaren – spaetzli; Chinese as mein; and Japanese as udon) the general consensus is that pasta cannot be traced to any one individual’s invention.

The origins of pasta can be traced back to several civilizations, such as the Etruscan and Roman, but also to ancient Arab and Chinese cultures. Instruments used in the production of pasta have been found in a number of Etruscan excavation sites. This pasta, produced in homes rather than on a large manufacturing scale, was cut into flat strips resembling what the Romans would later call lagana, which we now refer to as lasagna. The first recorded recipe for lasagna can be found in the book De Re Coquinaria, written by the Roman author Marcus Gavius Apicius (1st century AD). The fact that pasta was being produced and consumed in Italy prior to Marco Polo’s journeys of discovery, discloses that it was not among the innovations he brought back from China. At the same time, however, it is also a well-known fact that pasta was being produced and consumed in Ancient China (1,700 – 1,100 BC).

Towards the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, the production of pasta underwent significant changes. For centuries, pasta had been produced by handmade dough, which was cut and shaped by hand as well, to be dried in the sun. In 1890, 222 pasta factories could be found in the principality of Genoa alone, 62 of which were in the vicinity of Porto Maurizio. The production in these factories did not exceed 100.000 kg annually. After the public became acquainted with pasta factories, following China and Italy, the USA became aware of the delights of pasta. The Frenchman Antoine Zerge set up the first US pasta factory in Brooklyn. Following its successes in  the USA, pasta went on to enter Sweden, Germany and Britain. After the end of the First World War, pasta became a global foodstuff, enjoyed by the most diverse people.