Many anthropologists believe on of the first foods created by ancient humans was a paste made by mixing water with some type of grain, such as wheat, barley or rice. It is also believed that as early as 5,000 years ago, people began cooking this paste to create the first forms of pasta.

Broad noodles called laganon were popular in ancient Greece more than 2,000 years ago. Pasta has been a popular dish in Italian homes for more than 800 years. Macaroni is often credited to have been first eaten in Sicily in the late 1200’s. Ravioli and lasagna were popular in Italy by the late 1200’s.

Nobody is sure who invented pasta. It is believed pasta dishes were first created in many different countries about the same time. One popular myth about pasta is that it was introduced to Europe by Marco Polo after he returned from a visit to China in the early 1300’s.

Today, pasta is eaten in hundreds of countries throughout the world and is made into a variety of different shapes and sizes. It has evolved from what was once a simple paste into one of the most popular foods in the world.

Most pasta is made by using various types of wheat products mixed with water. Other types of pasta are made using ingredients such as rice, barley, corn and mung beans. Pasta can be found in many interesting shapes, each with a specific purpose. Elaborately shaped pasta is good for holding sauces. Tube and pillow shaped pasta can be stuffed with different ingredients such as cheese, sauces or meat. Flat sheets of pasta can be layered between ingredients to create special dishes like lasagna. Most pasta is cream colors, but some types of pasta can be made in different colors, such as green pasta that is made using spinach, red pasta that is made using tomato and gray pasta using squid ink.