Pasta and the pasta maker have had a long and colorful history. Mankind has been eating pasta for more than two thousand years. What appears to be some of the first known pasta making tools are displayed in the carvings of ancient Etruscan tombs. The Greeks prepared a dish called \”lagane\” from wheat durum, which they then roasted over a fire or baked in an oven. This was a very early form of what we currently know as lasagna. The first mention of boiled pasta was noted in the Jerusalem Talmud, a historical document compiled by rabbi\’s in the 5th century. It contains a description of dried noodles that were available for purchase in the market. Since these noodles were dried, they kept well, and were easy to transport. Sailors traveling the trade routes of the Mediterranean would carry these dried noodles with them for nourishment on their voyages. Thus pasta spread throughout the region.

The country most associated with pasta is of course Italy. But for many years only the wealthiest classes of Italians could afford it. Pasta makers had to knead the dough by hand or more likely by foot for the better part of a day. Once the dough was kneaded, it would then be flattened out by hand into thin sheets. Then it was cut into the individual strands of pasta. Once cut, it was either cooked immediately or it was hung out to dry for later use. This time consuming process kept the price of pasta beyond the means of the average family.

A couple of innovations during the 17th century changed the process of pasta production. The first was the mechanical press. Though not originally invented for pasta, creative inventors modified the press into a machine that is similar to today\’s hand cranked pasta makers. This significantly reduced the amount of time it took to roll the dough into sheets for cutting. But the dough was still produced by means of kneading it by foot over the course of a day. Then in the 1700\’s the king of Naples, Ferdinando II, hired a famous engineer to design a machine that could perform the arduous task of kneading the dough. Cesare Spadaccini came up with a process that introduced boiling water to the flour. This mixture was then placed into a specially designed machine to be kneaded into dough. Shortly thereafter in 1740, one of the first pasta factories went into business using a pasta maker that was essentially a press powered by several men. These innovations brought the price of pasta down to a level that everyone could afford and pasta became a food popular among all levels of income.

By the mid 1800\’s the pasta making industry truly arrived. Several pasta makers from the Amalfi region of Italy (north of Naples) developed water mills for grinding the wheat into flour. In addition, they designed mechanical presses to replace those that used manpower. In the 1870\’s the introduction of the Marseille purifier further enhanced the production of semolina flour. Previously the semolina was separated from the bran of the wheat by using hand-held leather sieves. The purifier automated this process using mechanical shakers, allowing for more efficient production of the flour necessary in pasta production.

A short time later, pasta maker machines were modified to create the many various shapes of pasta that we know today. Some factories offered upwards of 200 shapes to the market. Pasta had truly become a mass produced commodity. Italian factories began shipping pasta all over the world.

As other countries began large-scale wheat production, they looked to make their own pastas locally. With their long history and vast knowledge of pasta production, Italian manufacturers were perfectly positioned to capitalize on the worldwide popularity. They began exporting the Italian made pasta maker all over the globe.

For more information on a pasta maker visit http://www.shoppastamaker.com

Arthur Bryan is a writer for http://www.shoppastamaker.com

Author Bio: For more information on a pasta maker visit http://www.shoppastamaker.com

Category: Food and Drinks
Keywords: pasta maker, pasta makers