Pasta

The history of pasta has been lost for centuries. Their paternity is claimed by various populations (Italians, Greeks, Chinese, Arabs). However, no other food has been identified as much with a country as pasta with Italy. In Greece we find the first mention of pasta in 1,000 BC. It was a plump pastry made of flour and water called "laganon" (i.e. lasagna), which the Greeks took with them when they made their first colonies in Italy. Pasta is an essential part of the Mediterranean diet. They are rich in complex carbohydrates, iron, selenium, calcium, B-complex proteins and vitamins, fat-free, cholesterol and sodium. They provide power, energy and important nutrients to the human body. Pasta together with rice and legumes form the basis of the Mediterranean diet.