Developments

Arab invasion of the 8th century heavily influenced the regional cuisine and is the most accepted theory for the introduction of noodles. The dried noodle-like product they introduced to Sicily is most likely the origins of dried pasta and was being produced in great quantities in Palermo at that time

. This early pasta was an ideal staple for Sicily and it easily spread to the mainland since durum wheat thrives in Italy's climate.

By the 1300's dried pasta was very popular for its nutrition and long shelf life, making it ideal for long ship voyages. Pasta made it around the globe during the voyages of discovery a century later. Various types of pasta, including long hollow tubes, are mentioned in the 15th Century records of Italian and Dominican monasteries. By that time, different shapes of pasta have appeared and new technology made pasta easier to make. With these innovations, pasta truly became a part of Italian life.

At the end of the 15th century, Naples began to import pasta from Sicily and they later earned the title of mangiamaccheroni (macaroni-eaters). By the 17th Century, pasta had become part of the daily diet throughout Italy because it was economical, readily available and versatile. In fact, there were over 200 pasta shops opened in Naples and pasta became a street food.

The first industrial production of pasta occurred in Naples in the early 15th century. The site was chosen for its naturally fluctuating temperatures, sometimes as much as four times a day, which provided the hot and cold temperatures necessary for drying. Mechanical drying was not invented until 1800.

Neapolitans and other southern Italians must be credited for the diffusion of noodles throughout the world. With technological advances, transatlantic trades and the wave of late-19th century immigrants, the dispersion of noodles soared!

Shiploads of spaghetti together with olive oil and condensed tomato came into America. Italian immigrants were to introduce, any other cultures to pasta wherever they settled.

Thomas Jefferson is credited with introducing the first macaroni machine in the United States, in 1789, when he returned home after serving as an ambassador to France. When he was at the USA, he fell in love with pasta and this passion led to that invention.

Although Thomas Jefferson, much interested in macaroni and pasta technology, brought cases of the foodstuff to America in 1786 (and later had a pasta machine shipped to him from Campania), it was not until 1848 that it began to be produced commercially in America.

Findings from SIC 2098 (2005) clearly indicate that:

The World War I years (early 1900s) and the interruption of pasta imports from overseas gave rise to an expanded pasta industry in the United States, as many Italian-American pasta importers became manufacturers, through small family operations, many of which still exist. In the expanding pasta industry of the 1930s, pasta ceased to be merely Italian and became an American food.

In the mid-1990s, the popularity of pasta soared and more markets for value-added, flavored pasta emerged. Other factors contributing to pasta's popularity included its convenience, durability, and economy. Due to the fact, that a box of dried pasta had seven years of shelf-life, it became a valuable food worth selling for industries In addition, consumers paid attention in leading a healthy lifestyle and hence pasta, this nutritious, low-fat food, boosted the health of the industry, nearly doubling mean annual per capita consumption in the last 20 years to 24 pounds.

The nationwide availability of pre-made sauces and the convenience of cooking pasta in less than 15 minutes was an attraction to the growing numbers of single-parent households in the United States.