Pasta is surrounded by various myths and legends.
Ancient Greek mythology says that the god Vulcan invented a machine that shaped dough into long and thin strands.
According to perhaps the most famous legend, Marco Polo encountered this dish during one of his travels to China and, fascinated by it, brought it back to his native Italy.
First Legend
It also connects pasta, especially spaghetti, with the Italian temperament: the story goes that a young Chinese woman fell madly in love with a tall, strong Italian man with fiery eyes. As her fingers kneaded the dough, she fell for him so passionately that she squeezed it firmly and then stretched it ecstatically. And thus, the first strands of spaghetti were born.
Second Legend
Far less romantic, this legend attributes the introduction of pasta to the Arabs, who occupied Sicily in 827 AD. They had long been familiar with pasta and introduced the island’s inhabitants to this delicious dish.
Third Legend
This one credits the creation of pasta to the Italians themselves, but it’s a tale of deceit and trickery: The legend takes place in the Naples region, which is actually a stronghold of pasta. It is said that a certain wizard had a moment of great inspiration there. However, he didn’t want to share his secret with others, aware of the power of his creation.
His beautiful young neighbor was the one who ultimately stole the secret from him with her charms. Her name was Jovanela, a Neapolitan beauty who convinced the wizard to teach her the recipe. Armed with this knowledge, she went to the court of King Frederick II and prepared a pasta dish for him. The king and his entire court were absolutely delighted. The young woman was showered with wealth – only the poor wizard, struck by the one weapon against which he had no elixir, was left empty-handed.