Italian culture has much to be proud of- from designer sports cars like the Ferrari to the exquisite and sophisticated opera. And while many aspects of their culture have been greatly received and honored throughout the world, it is perhaps their recognition as the originator of the modern pasta that has truly made a deep and lasting influence, not just to the specialized culinary circles, but to everyone who enjoys food.

When we talk of Italian cuisine, the center of attention is definitely the pasta. Tracing its origins, there is evidence to believe that the history of pasta goes back to the ancient Greeks who had a form of flattened dough which they called “laganon”. This earlier version however had a stark difference from modern pasta in that it was not boiled but rather roasted. The Arabs on the other hand, as written in the Talmud as early as 5^th century AD, had the first documented record of noodles being cooked by boiling. They called the noodle itriyah. It is predominantly believed that they introduced pasta to Sicily when they conquered it. An Arab geographer named Al Idrisi writes that a product made of flour which was shaped like strings were produced in the then Arab colony of Palermo.

The next great occurrence in the development and history of pasta as we know it came during the 16^th century when the Spanish brought back their discoveries from the new world. Among these new discoveries was a variety of tomato they called promo d’oro or golden apple. It was then that this new ingredient called the tomato encountered the pasta, which until that time was eaten dry using the fingers. The advent of tomatoes, and eventually tomato sauce, would change not only the way pasta was eaten, but the eating habit of the world as well. And so at present, the history of pasta continues to be written as many of today’s chefs and foodies reinvent the more established pasta recipes, turning them into new varieties and bold creations.

The creation and origin of lasagna has three popular theories. The first is that it came from the Greek laganon which is a form of flattened dough which was roasted. The second theory is that it comes from the Greek lasana which means a stand for a pot. The Romans then took this term (turned it into lasanum) and used it to refer to a cooking pot, which was eventually used by the Italians to refer to the dish where lasagna is made. The third theory as to the history of pasta, and lasagna specifically, comes from England. It is believed by some that the cuisine traces its origin from an English dish called loseyn. This theory primarily bases its contention on the similarities in the way both dishes are prepared and the likeness in their names.

In the end, although the exact origin of the dish is uncertain, modern lasagna is widely accepted as an Italian dish and it is there, particularly in the southern portion, where the definitive lasagna can be experienced today.