Pasta - Some Interesting Facts about pasta - Pasta Types - Health Benefits of Pasta

Pasta  is a tradition of Italian cuisine.Pasta is Made With Durum Wheat flour Mixed with Water.One of the more popular theories was published in the ‘Macaroni Journal’ by the Association of Food Industries. It states that pasta was brought to Italy by Marco Polo via China.

World's Most Popular Dish
 Global survey by the charity Oxfam has named pasta as the world's most popular dish, ahead of meat, rice and pizza.

Health Benefits of Pasta

• Pasta is a low fat food and a good source of folic acid, iron and numerous other nutrients, making it an ideal food as part of a healthy diet for children.
• Consumption of pasta Will increase level of chemical called serotonin in the body.Serotonin is used by brain to trigger positive feelings. 
• Pasta is a good source of folic acid, a key nutrient in a woman's childbearing years. Folic acid helpsto prevent some birth defects (i.e. neural tube) that occur in the early stages of pregnancy.

•  The Food Pyramid recommends we eat six to 11 servings of complex carbohydrates daily. Consuming pasta a minimum of three times a week is an easy way to help meet that goal.
• According to National Pasta Association,Americans eat 6 billion pounds of pasta a year.

Interesting Facts of Pasta

• The Chinese are on record as having eaten pasta as early as 5,000 B.C.
• The average person in Italy eats more than 51 pounds of pasta every year.  The average American eats abuot 19.8 pounts of pasta annually.
• In the 13th century, the Pope set quality standards for pasta.
• There are more than 600 pasta shapes produced worldwide.
• Word Pasta Comes from Italian Word "PASTE" Meaning combination of Flour and Water.
• To cook one billion pounds of pasta, you would need 2,021,452,000 gallons of water -
  enough to fill nearly 75,000 Olympic-size swimming pools.   
  October 17 is celebrated as National Pasta Day.   
  
  Some Types of Pasta  
  
  Farfalle:Commonly called "bow tie pasta", farfalle is actually a name  derived from  Italian Word "Farfalle" Meaning butterfly.
  
  

  

  Rotini:The name of this pasta means "Twists or spirals".The ridges help it hold on to bits of Vegetables,Meat and cheese, Making it ideal for chunky sauces.
  
  
  Orzo: A rice-shaped pasta also known as risoni.It is a  perfect addition to salads and soups and is often served as a side dish for white sauce.
  
  
  

  

   
   Route:The italian Word for "Wheels",route is a popular pasta for kids.Its fun shape can be easily pierced with fork.Route is a great base for pasta salads and helps trap flavour in stir fry dishes.
  
  

  

   
  Sources
  
  

  1. www.eatpasta.com
  2.  Wikipedia.com
  3. ilovepasta.org
  4. thinslicy.com
  5. cjpasta.com
  6. todayifound.com
  7. Nationalpastaday.com
  8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pasta 
  9. http://www.scientificpsychic.com/mind/noodles.html