Pasta is a staple food of Italian cuisine, dating back to the 9th century. Its origins can be traced to the Arab conquerors who introduced the concept of dried pasta to Italy.
The word "pasta" itself comes from the Latin word "paste," referring to the dough made from durum wheat flour and water. The first written record of pasta dishes was in a text from the early 14th century in Italy.
Over the centuries, pasta has become a staple food worldwide, with many different varieties and shapes, including spaghetti, macaroni, fettuccine, and ravioli.
Today, pasta is enjoyed in many different cuisines and is a popular ingredient in dishes such as lasagna, carbonara, and alfredo.
Vocabulary:
• Paste: a mixture of substances, typically a soft, moist, and adhesive substance used for spreading or sticking
• Tend: to have a tendency or disposition to do something; to take care of or look after
• Wheat: a cereal plant that is the most important kind grown in temperate countries, the grain of which is ground to make flour for bread, pasta, pastry, etc.
• Blossomed: to produce flowers or to develop and flourish
• Ribbed: having raised lines or ridges on a surface, often used to increase strength or grip
• Smooth: having a surface free from roughness, bumps, or indentations
• Palate: the roof of the mouth that separates the oral and nasal cavities
• Flour: a fine powder made from grains, typically wheat, used for making bread, cakes, and other baked goods
• Eggs: an oval or round object produced by female birds, reptiles, amphibians, or fish, typically containing a developing embryo
• Dough: a mixture of flour, liquid, and other ingredients used as a base for baking bread, pastry, or other baked goods
• Slanted: inclined or tilted to one side, rather than being level or straight
• Scoop: a tool with a curved or hollowed-out part for taking up and carrying or measuring a quantity of a substance
• Gorgeous: very beautiful, attractive, or impressive
• Hone: to sharpen or refine, typically by removing small amounts of material
• So-called: referred to as, or known by, the name or term specified
• Impose: to force or bring about something, often against one's will
• Thinner: a liquid used to reduce the thickness or consistency of paint, ink, or other substances
• Boil: to heat a liquid until it reaches its boiling point and begins to produce steam
Source: Ted-Ed