Where did pasta originate?

The origin of pasta is debatable. Pasta is believed by some to have originated in China. It was said to have been brought to Italy by Marco Polo, a merchant from Venice. Others believed that Polo rediscovered pasta, and that the food was originally consumed by the Romans and Etruscans.

Some evidence confirms that the durum wheat used to make pasta today is the same ingredient used in the pasta Etruscans and Romans ate. Pasta was originally referred to as "lagane," which is where the modern word "lasagna" comes from. Pasta was first consumed in the 1st century A.D. and was baked in the oven, not boiled.