Common myth has it that Marco Polo learned about noodles from the Chinese and brought the recipe back to Italy with him in 1295. But noodles existed around the globe in some form or another long before that, according to Gertrude Harris, author of Pasta International . Harris says noodles, formed from a simple flour and water paste, were likely created by many cultures independently of each other. In fact, pasta was so expensive that a basket of macaroni is listed in the will of one Ponzio Bastone in 1279. Pasta remained an indulgence of the rich for centuries, largely because the special durum variety of wheat used for making pasta had to be imported from Sicily or Puglia.
Durum wheat contains abundant gluten, the substance that gives noodle and bread dough elasticity.
Durum is coarsely ground into semolina, a grain product more granular than regular wheat flours. In the 17th century, durum wheat farming was greatly expanded, and led to the introduction of the commercial kneading machine and press. Finally, pasta became accessible to Italians of all classes. Without treatment, panic disorder can ruin lives. Home Island Scene Online is not intended to replace the advice of health care professionals.