Professor Massimo Montanari author of A Short History of Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce discussed his book with the Italian Cultural Society of Chicago in a virtual event. The book examines the history of pasta and tomato sauce. Professor Montarai explained, “pasta is a very very old object”.
In ancient societies, pasta was identified as a variant of bread (Asiatic bread) explains Professor Montanari. He goes on to share the important influence Sicily played in the role of cultivating durum wheat. One of the first references in a cookbook refers to spaghetti as little worms. Professor Montanari shares the history behind boiling water for pasta, who suggested cheese should be eaten with pasta, and when cooking pasta ‘al dente’ was introduced. The history of cooking methods, procedures, and tools are all deconstructed in the virtual lecture. Such as the evolution of forks used throughout the history of pasta. Throughout the lecture, you can learn how pasta and tomato sauce became a staple dish in today’s Italian cuisine.
Click here to watch the full lecture.
Massimo Montanari is Professor of Food History at the University of Bologna. The event was organized in cooperation with University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Casa Artusi.
