Pasta is a generic term for noodles made from flour, water, and/or eggs. While the first records of noodles date back to the 5th century AD, pasta likely originated in Italy when Arabs introduced noodles after conquering Sicily in the Middle Ages. By the 17th century, dried pasta had become a daily part of the Italian diet due to its availability and versatility. Today, pasta remains one of America's favorite foods, with over 1.3 million pounds sold in grocery stores in 2008.

1. Pasta Brett Rowland

2. What is Pasta?2Pasta is a generic term for noodles made from a dough of flour, water and/or eggs. Pasta means “paste” in Italian.There are approximately 600 different shapes produced worldwide.Can you identify the ten pasta shapes in the activity “ Pasta Match?”

3. History of PastaFirst record of noodles cooked by boiling is in the Jerusalem Talmud, in the 5th century AD.Likely that noodles were introduced into Italy by the Arabs when they conquered Sicily in the early middle ages.The Sicilian word “macaruni” which translates as “made into a dough by force” is thought to be the origin of our word macaroni.In the ancient methods of making pasta, force meant kneading the dough with the feet – a process that could take all day!3

4. History of Pasta Cont.Dried pasta became popular because it could be easily stored on ships and the kind of wheat needed to make dried pasta grew perfectly in Italy.By the 17th century, pasta had become part of the daily diet throughout Italy because it was economical, readily available and versatile.4

5. Pasta is one of America’s favorite foods…In 2008, 1.3 million pounds of pasta were sold in American grocery stores. If you lined up 1.3 million pounds of 16 oz. spaghetti packages, it could circle the Earth’s equator almost nine times!5

6. Where does it all come from?No matter what restaurant or supermarket you go to there is always some form of pasta but where does it all come from where is all this pasta made?

7. Production of the pasta in the world(in metric tons)

8. Who eats more People sometimes wonder who eats the most pasta. My next slide will show you.

9. Consumption of the pasta in the world(Kg. per capita)

10. Who likes toppings!Just like pizza pasta can have toppings such as different sauces or meat But when exactly did topping the fun food come to be and from where ?

11. Old World Pasta Meets the New World TomatoThe Spanish explorer Cortez brought tomatoes back to Europe from Mexico in 1519. Even then, almost 200 years passed before spaghetti with tomato sauce made its way into Italian kitchens.Before sauces, pasta was eaten by hand.Sauces demanded pasta be eaten with a fork – and the manners of the common man were changed forever!11

12. I ate my pasta now what?Here is the dilemma you made too much pasta but you don’t want to throw out the rest what do you do?

13. Storing PastaUncooked pasta – store in cupboard in tightly closed container and use within 1 year for highest quality.Cooked pasta – refrigerate cooked pasta for 3 to 5 days. Store cooked pasta separately from sauce.Freezing pasta – best to freeze dishes before baking. Thaw dishes in refrigerator and bake as the recipe directs + 10-15 minutes. From a frozen state, bake 20-30 minutes longer.13

14. Isn’t Pasta unhealthyPeople often criticize pasta for being unhealthy. What was the solution to this, Make whole wheat pasta of course but how does whole wheat really compare.?

15. How does Whole Wheat and Regular Pasta Compare Nutritionally?15

16. BIBLIOGRAPHY "ItalianMade.com - LIBRARY: Italian Pasta." ItalianMade.com - WELCOME! Web. 05 Feb. 2010. <http://www.italianmade.com/library/doc.cfm?doc_ID=49>. "Pasta: Italian Culture on a Plate - Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art - Absolutearts.com." Absolutearts.com - Contemporary Art - Artist Portfolios - Art News - Collect Art. Web. 05 Feb. 2010. <http://www.absolutearts.com/artsnews/2002/06/26/30046.html>. "History and origins of Italian cuisine." Italian food traditional Italian cooking and italian recipes. Web. 04 Feb. 2010. <http://www.annamariavolpi.com/what_is_italian_cooking.html>."National Pasta Association: FAQs." National Pasta Association: Information on Pasta Recipes, Pasta Nutrition, Complex Carbohydrates and More. Web. 29 Jan. 2010. <http://www.ilovepasta.org/faqs.html>."Italian Eating Rules | Italy." Life in Italy | Italy. Web. 28 Jan. 2010. <http://www.lifeinitaly.com/life/italian-food-rules.asp>."Pasta History." In_mamas_kitchen. Web. 29 Jan. 2010. <http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/FOOD_IS_ART/pasta/historypasta.html>.