BBC Radio 4 - Radio 4 in Four - Ten tantalising facts about spaghetti (2024)

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Did you know facts about spaghetti? ›

Spaghetti was invented a thousand years ago

This wheat was so high in protein it made it possible to make a pasta that could be dried and stored. The first record we have of the production of spaghetti on Italian soil is in the work of an Arab geographer from the middle of the 12th century.

Traditionally, most spaghetti was 50 cm (20 in) long, but shorter lengths gained in popularity during the latter half of the 20th century and now spaghetti is most commonly available in 25-30 cm (10-12 in) lengths.

The tangy, salty, spicy and sometimes a tad sweet taste is just mouthwatering. There is little that that could go wrong with this delicacy. You can even add other things as in meatballs, lasagna etc that blends in with pasta just perfectly. The flavor and aroma of pasta are what makes it so popular among people.

Maybe the secret to its popularity lies in its versatility. These long, thin noodles pair up with just about every type of sauce: from tangy tomato sauces to hearty Bolognese to simple sauces of butter or olive oil and Parmesan cheese.

It's Part of a Good Diet

Pasta is made from grain, one of the basic food groups in a healthy diet that also can include vegetables, fruits, fish, and poultry. It's a good source of energy and can give you fiber, too, if it's made from whole grain. That can help with stomach problems and may help lower cholesterol.

Noodles made of wheat and eggs were known in the Mediterranean world in antiquity, but the pasta we know as spaghetti—which takes its name from the Italian spaghetto, “l*ttle cord”—was probably introduced to Sicily by the island's Arab conquerors in the 8th century.

Noodles existed in China and Asia long before pasta appeared in the Mediterranean world, and the legend goes that Marco Polo brought pasta to Italy from China in the 13th century. Apparently, there are passages in The Travels of Marco Polo (by Marco Polo, of course) that refer to “pasta-like dishes.”

Spaghetti (Italian: [spaˈɡetti]) is a long, thin, solid, cylindrical pasta. It is a staple food of traditional Italian cuisine. Like other pasta, spaghetti is made of milled wheat, water, and sometimes enriched with vitamins and minerals.

Pasta is often served as a primo (first course), with a meat, seafood or vegetable course called a secondo coming after that. To do as the Italians do, try serving a smaller portion of pasta as a primo for an Italian-inspired dinner party, or as precursor to a meat, fish or vegetable main.

IF YOU COOK spaghetti in a big pot of water, drain it, then toss it with sauce, you are pouring a lot of flavor down the drain, says Vendemmia chef Brian Clevenger. “The trick to good pasta is cooking it in the sauce,” he says. It was while working at Delfina in San Francisco that he really started to understand why.

Is spaghetti better than rice? ›

In conclusion, both pasta and rice can be healthy options when consumed in moderation and paired with nutrient-dense ingredients. However, if we were to compare the two, whole-grain pasta is generally considered a healthier option than white rice due to its higher fiber content and lower glycemic index.

Summary. People with diabetes can include pasta as part of a healthy diet. However, they should choose whole grain varieties and be mindful of their portion size. A person can use the Plate Method, carb counting, or half-cup measurements to determine how much pasta they eat.

It could be its versatility, this food offers a wide range of shapes and formats, allowing for a great variety of dishes and can be paired with an enormous variety of sauces, condiments and ingredients, making it a flexible choice suitable for many culinary preferences.

Made in Italy, Barilla is a mass-produced brand that is available all over the world. Also made with durum wheat and water, Barilla has been a trusted brand for commercial pasta lovers for years.

1. Spaghetti. Perhaps one of the most popular pasta types in the world, spaghetti consists of long, thin noodles which can be paired with a wide variety of sauces.

The word “pasta” itself derives from the Italian word for the dough from which pasta shapes are made. The names themselves usually trace back to either their creation process or objects they resemble. “Spaghetti”, for example, derives from the Italian word spago, meaning string, resembling its long, straggly shape.

Spaghetti and meatballs with tomato sauce is a purely American invention, the result of a surge of Italian immigration to the U.S. and the adaptations they made to available ingredients. The truth about meatballs is that they are a clever way to dress up tough, cheaper cuts of meat.

But to what does spaghetti owe? There's no denying that pasta is decidedly Italian. However, as is common with well-loved world cuisines, the origins of pasta are highly contested and may be found in many intersections of time and place.