A Short History of Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce

by Massimo Montanari

Intellectually engaging and deliciously readable, a stereotype-defying history of how one of the most recognisable symbols of Italian cuisine and national identity is the product of centuries of encounters, dialogue, and exchange.

Is it possible to identify a starting point in history from which everything else unfolds--a single moment that can explain the present and reveal the essence of our identities? According to Massimo Montanari, this is just a myth: by themselves, origins explain very little and historical phenomena can only be understood dynamically--by looking at how events and identities develop and change as a result of encounters and combinations that are often unexpected.

As Montanari shows in this lively, brilliant, and surprising essay, all you need to debunk the "origins myth" is a plate of spaghetti. By tracing the history of the one of Italy's "national dishes"--from Asia to America, from Africa to Europe; from the beginning of agriculture to the Middle Ages and up to the 20th century--he shows that in order to understand who we are (our identity) we almost always need to look beyond ourselves to other cultures, peoples, and traditions.

Genres: Food, Nonfiction, History, Food and Drink, Italy, Cooking, Food History

128 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 2019

About the author

Professor of medieval history at Bologna University who has written widely on food history.

Reviews

[Lady Clementina ffinch-ffarowmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to Europa Editions and NetGalley for a review copy of this book.

A Short History of Spaghetti and Tomato Sauce is a short, readable, interesting and well-researched account of how Italy’s most iconic dish, described by some as the ‘premier Italian dish’, came to be.

The author, Massimo Montanari, a professor of mediaeval history, sets out the background for his exploration by pointing out that origins, while important, are something that we end up attaching too much importance to (‘the idol of origin’). It is not origin alone that makes something, but also the social, economic, cultural and other circumstances that influenced it, and it is with these also that the historian must concern himself, not simply statements of fact.

And so it is for spaghetti and tomato sauce, for it is not a dish that came about in some accidental or deliberate moment of creation but one that was built up gradually with various influences and impacted by social, economic and cultural factors. In fact, none of the ingredients that make up this dish—whether the pasta itself (at least in its dried form), or the tomato or chilli, onion or garlic, came from Italy and none were immediately accepted or eaten by the people instantly—pasta and cheese for instance not being initially considered the food of the nobility, and tomatoes seen as noxious by physicians. It is only gradually and over time that the elements began to come together and form the dish we know (and love) today.

In each of the chapters, the author considers the different elements that make up this dish—pasta (which was initially not even seen as a genus), the dried form of which came from Arab influence; cheese; tomato (and from it tomato sauce, something initially thought of as Spanish); chilli, onions and garlic, basil and even the olive oil that we today see as the essence of Italian cuisine, but which was a rather recent entrant into the dish of spaghetti and tomato sauce. And it is not just the ingredients and the way they and the recipes they are part of came together, but also the way the dish was eaten (forks were not in common use otherwise) which brought about changes to the way things were done.

For these developments we look at not only chefs and recipe books (I didn’t realise that there were recipe books on tablets—the stone ones I mean—as well), but also travellers and explorers, conquerors/rulers and physicians, all of whom played a role in the making up of the dish in one way or other.

From issues of etymology and the origin of ingredients, to physicians’ pronouncements and actual recipes, this discussion covers plenty of ground and reveals many interesting facts. Montanari also looks into how the dish or pasta more generally became a symbol of identity, both in a positive sense as a symbol of unity of the people, as well as to tease and in a pejorative sense.

I found this to be a really enjoyable and informative account, and one which also left me wanting to eat a plate of spaghetti and tomato sauce (any pasta, really) without much delay! (And on a more serious note, with the thought that ‘roots’ are perhaps not quite as limited as we think they are.)

4 stars

[Mauro · Rating 4 out of 5]

In questo breve (ma intenso) libretto si parla di come il tipico piatto italiano di pasta col pomodoro, non sia originato in Italia, ma si sia affermato lungamente nel corso dei secoli. Le origini sono solo un mito: questo è il vero messaggio.

Con particolare attenzione dovrebbe leggerlo chi, sempre più ultimamente, si riempie troppo facilmente la bocca con parole come “territorio”, “tipicità”, “mettiamo muri” e queste cose qua, e capirne il significato.

[Lupo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Piccolissimo libro che racconta la complicatissima strada percorsa dagli italiani per arrivare a creare un semplicissimo piatto come gli spaghetti al pomodoro. Un libro contro radici e origini o, quantomeno, un libro contro le semplificazioni. Un pamphlet politico, se vogliamo.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

We have perfected the tomato sauce that we make for all sorts of pasta dishes over the years. It is made by frying onions and garlic, adding oregano, then tomato puree and then passata and leaving it to cook down and reduce for around an hour. Finally, add basil and then it is ready to be married to the pasta of our choice.

Pasta without tomato sauce doesn’t feel right in some ways. But how the Italians ended up using tomatoes is a story worth telling. In this book, Massimo Montanari is delving through the history of the Italian kitchens with the intention of separating fact from myth.

Before the tomato, there was pasta. This iconic Italian food originated from the breadbasket of the middle east and was originally unleavened and rolled bread, however finding when it went from rehydrating a dried food to a cooking process in boiling water requires a little more uncovering.

Back then the fashion was to make sure that the pasta was really well cooked. And I mean really well, none of the modern fashion of having pasta al dente. Having cooked the pasta the chose accompaniment was cheese, lots of cheese and much deliberation was given to the correct one to use. Then in the mid-1500s, the tomato arrived in Italy, the Spanish having bought it back from South America. They were originally considered to be ‘harmful and obnoxious’. It would be a while before they made their entrance into Italian cooking and become the staple that they are today

I thought that this was a fascinating little book on a food that has become as much as a staple in our kitchen as it is all across Italy. Montanari’s prose is entertaining and informative in equal measure, and he shows just how a national dish can trace its roots back across many cultures. If you like your pasta, this is a great little read.

[PeteyPablo6969 · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a spaghetti lover, this brief history had many delicious bits of knowledge regarding the origins of one of the most recognizable dishes .

[Vic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good and entertaining read - wasn’t boring like most essay/research non-fiction books. Quite educational 🤓

[Emilio Abiusi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like a dis book.

[Benedetta Ventrella (rienva) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fatti spiegare da uno storico dell'alimentazione la storia che c'è dietro un piatto di spaghetti al pomodoro, e capisci quanto la cucina e il cibo siano una parte importantissima della cultura.

[Davide · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Un testo breve e scorrevole sulla storia dell'alimentazione, che parte da un piatto fin troppo connotato come proprio della gastronomia italiana per riflettere sulla cucina e le parole del nostro tempo.
In questo piacevole viaggio, attorno agli "spaghetti al pomodoro", Massimo Montanari ci porta a riflettere sulle connessioni dei luoghi e dei prodotti, sugli intrecci che portano alla nascita di un piatto tipico e una interessante riflessione sulle parole-chiave della nostra società: radici, identità e storia.

"... l'identità non corrisponde alle radici. L'identità è ciò che siamo. Le radici non sono 'ciò che eravamo' bensi gli incontri, gli scambi,
gli incroci che hanno trasformato ciò che eravamo in ciò che siamo. E più andiamo a fondo nella ricerca delle origini, più le radici si allargano e si allontanano da noi - proprio come accade sotto le piante. Usando la metafora fino in fondo, scopriremo che le radici, spesso, sono gli altri. Cercare le origini di ciò che siamo sarà dunque un modo per in contrare gli altri. Gli altri che vivono in noi"

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

A short read that had some interesting points. That being said some of the chapters confused me. I don't know if it was the way it was translated into English or not being familiar with the modern scholars and trends in historiography the author referenced in the book, but I struggle to understand the bigger picture he was building towards. He kept trying to make bigger points about origins and identity, but I'm not sure I understood what he was getting at in those sections. The book also jumps around in the timeline, and lacks flow from chapter to chapter at times. The author circles bigger concepts, makes a final analogy, and ends the book. I think I'm missing something that would have all of it come together and make sense beyond learning interesting facts about the history of spaghetti and tomato sauce.

[CrystalIsReading on StoryGraph · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty academic little book that manages to be full of interesting information anyway. I enjoyed learning about the development of pasta consumption in historic Italy, and the busting of myths, such as Marco Polo supposedly introducing pasta from China (spoiler alert. You can't introduce something that's already in use.)

Definitely not a lively book. Don't read it unless you're sure you can focus and won't fall asleep. But if you do pay attention, you'll be rewarded with some interesting gastronomic history.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Europa for an advance copy of #AShortHistoryofSpaghettiwithTomatoSauce

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Μικρή και ενδιαφέρουσα ιστορία των μακαρονιών (έτσι τα λέγανε για αιώνες στην Ευρώπη κ. Ιωαννίδη), αφηγήσεις ανεκδοτολογικού (ή και όχι) χαρακτήρα. Όχι παιδιά τα σπαγγέτι δεν τα έφερε ο Μάρκο Πόλο από την Κίνα, χρωστάμε στους Άραβες πολλά περισσότερα από όσα νομίζουμε. Χαριτωμένο αλλά και επιστημονικά τεκμηριωμένο, σύντομο σαν πρώτο πιάτο.

[Elif · Rating 5 out of 5]

Montanari is a genius.

https://elifthereader.com/books/a-sho...

[Alex Sutcliffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

quick easy read, made me wanna eat some actual nice pasta

[Julija · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice, ampak a je trideset strani dolga spremna beseda o genealogiji in morfologiji besede pašta res potrebna? I don't think so.

[Chris N · Rating 5 out of 5]

As advertised, this is truly an incredible history of something so ubiquitous.

[Bella · Rating 3 out of 5]

This quick little book was okay and had some interesting tidbits, but it felt more like an academic paper when I wanted it to feel more like a podcast episode.

[Booktearainyday · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
Simpatico

[Deborah Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun and lively read that unwinds the social, cultural, economic histories entwined in the production of spaghetti.

[Evin Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lively and enjoyable essay - the preface starts out in such an Italian voice; vivacious and meandering with philosophy. Once Montanari dives into the topic - tracing the history of spaghetti with tomato sauce - it breezes by. It's very enjoyable, and now I can't stop dreaming up ways to make pasta; a great problem to have.

A few tidbits I particularly enjoyed:

"In the history of cooking there is very little that is obvious, or maybe nothing." (p.48)

"A fundamental principle of the medical culture inaugurated by Hippocrates of Kos in the V-IV centuries BCE (...) was that of looking for the point of equilibrium in which opposites compensate for or correct each other. Contrary contraries curator, 'opposites cure opposites' was the basic rule." (p.50)

(The formality of this sentence, like a regal command, made me laugh out loud): "He is echoed by the XIV century Liber de coquina: 'It is to be known that on lasagna and in corzetti (pasta circles cut from rolled dough) you must put a large amount of grated cheese." (p.52)

On p. 57, discovering that we didn't start using a fork until about the 1600-1700s, prompted in part due to the heat and slipperiness of pasta; and fine dining manuals had instructions for eating with your hands, using three fingers instead of the full five was deemed elegant.

"Given the prejudices against the eggplant, known in Italian as melanzana or mela (apple) insana (insane or unhealthy)." (p.74) another LOL moment. The tomato was first compared to the "insane apple" eggplant, so it didn't have the best reputation - until a certain Italian fellow by the name of Cosimo Medici received a basket of tomatoes. The influx of tomatoes into Italian cooking was influenced by his Spanish wife who imported tomatoes from Spain, where they first appeared on pasta in alla spagnola, "Spanish style" sauce.

"It was the American physician Ancel Keys, the inventor of the 'K ration' distributed to American GIs during World War II, who deduced the advantages of a diet poor (emphasis my own) in meat and animal fat, like the one he encountered in the southern regions of Italy." (p.91) It was fascinating to learn that centuries ago, the average Italian diet was an animal protein paired with vegetable green, like cabbage. It wasn't until there was a major economic recession that the diet shifted to pasta, with apparent benefits.

"When the word diàtita (diet) first appears in ancient Greek, it meant precisely this: the whole set of actions and mental attitudes that give shape to the 'regimen' of daily life." (p.91) It seems in our day and age, we are shifting back to that original understanding of "diet".

Finally, my favorite part was Montanari's conclusion:

"Identity does not correspond with roots (...) the deeper we go in search of our origins, the more our roots extend and grow away from us - just as it happens with plants (...) Searching for the origins of what we are may just be, therefore, a way of getting to know others. The others who live in us." (p.104)

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief, informative and entertaining monograph on the iconic Italian dish 'A Short History of Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce' is a good read for anyone interested in food history, and of course the more specific issues pertaining to Italian cultural history. The ground covered herein is covered in less depth by John Dickie's book Delizia, and those who have read that title will recognise some familiar names such as Scappi and Artusi.

Where Montanari's book finds a new angle is how the ideas of Galenic medicine form an integral influence on the early developments in the history of pasta with sauce, cheese and other 'Italian' ingredients. It's an important aspect of the text's narrative that the ingredients are considered in relation to their 'dryness', 'wetness', 'heat' and 'cold'. There is no doubt that for many who enjoy eating this dish that the older ideas of how spaghetti in tomato sauce fits into the humours of our internal health would be an alien idea. Montanari has made an interesting observation through this historical narrative.

Additionally, in teh first few chapters of the title Montanari makes some intriguing points regarding history, the origins of things and identity. Whar the author says about his subject can be adpated and applied to any line of historical inquiry, and it would be well worth the effort in doing so.

The author's prose is simple enough, he has provided substantial citations to support his historical findings, and as said the book is very short. It might have been valuable for Montanari to do more about discussing the history of spaghetti and tomato sauce as a global culinary product, however this has fallen outside the book;s brief.

I am sure anyone who likes a feed of pasta of sauce will find something to like about this book. Enjoy!

[David Ramirer · Rating 5 out of 5]

es sind sehr oft die einfachsten, unbeachtetsten dinge, von deren genauerer betrachtung (auch im historischen kontext) man am meisten lernen kann.

so ist es auch mit spaghetti mit tomatensoße, eventuell das unspektakulärste gericht, das die italienische küche hergibt, zumindest scheint es so. montanari fächert die genesis dieses rezeptes auf unglaubliche weise auf, indem er jedem detail des gerichtes auf die wurzeln fühlt und dabei auch noch ganz nebenbei essentielles über historische entwicklung a priori darlegt, wodurch erstaunliche irrtümer und falschbilder korrigiert werden - zugunsten eines deutlich polyglotteren blickes auf die welt und auch die schönheit der vielfalt: aus der sich auch die einfachsten dinge unserer gegenwart befruchten und entwickeln.

es braucht eine ganze welt, damit pasta mit roter soße heute auf den tisch kommen kann; eine schallende ohrfeige für jegliche xenophobie und nationale engstirnigkeiten...
schon von daher ein wertvolles buch, dem ich viele leser wünsche -
volle leseempfehlung!

[Yuri Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

No: Marco Polo did not bring pasta back from China, nor did a sailor named Spaghetti. Throwing out the tall tales, Montanari replaces them with even more interesting historical details. Tomato sauce did not get to spaghetti (or macaroni) until the XIX century, around the time of Italian unification. Interesting, too, the claim that in the XIV century Italians adopted the fork as table cutlery in order to eat hot, moist and slippery long pastas.
Nice to see the so-called Mediterranean Diet, preached by nutritionists in western countries, put in its place as a fabrication. The food Ancel Keys saw people eating in the mid-1940s was dressed with either butter or, more likely, lard. “Dressing pasta or tomato sauce with olive oil became “normal” only in the second half of the XX century.” (p 95)

[Stephen the Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This concise book explores the much beloved dish of spaghetti with tomato sauce. Written by Massimo Montanari a food and cultural historian , this short tome takes the reader on a fascinating historical journey of the principle ingredients (pasta tomato olive oil etc) and how they became a key part of Italian ( and now global ) cuisine and the joining together of the key elements. The book is full of intriguing facts that you can throw out to friends and family next time you dive into a dish of spaghetti and tomato sauce. A tasty and interesting little treat and a must for food lovers and italophiles.

Thank you to NetGalley and Europa Editions for this advance copy

[xyz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Il libro si propone di raccontare la storia di un piatto tanto semplice quanto iconico, ma finisce per trasformare questa semplicità in una sorta di parata di parole pompose. L’autore adotta uno stile estremamente pretensionoso, da accademico, per descrivere qualcosa che nella vita quotidiana è un comfort food alla portata di tutti. Il risultato è un contrasto sgradevole: da un lato la ricetta del sugo di pomodoro è immediata e familiare, dall’altro il narratore la eleva a epica con un linguaggio che sembra più adatto a un trattato di filosofia medievale che a una guida culinaria.

Le sezioni sono così brevi da dare l’impressione di essere solo anteprime di un’opera più completa. Ogni capitolo si limita a qualche pagina, senza approfondire né gli aspetti storici né le varianti regionali della salsa. Questa struttura frammentata lascia il lettore con la sensazione di aver letto solo un assaggio, senza mai arrivare al “piatto principale”.

L’argomento, di per sé, è interessante: la diffusione del pomodoro in Italia, le influenze culturali e le evoluzioni della ricetta meritano sicuramente uno studio più serio. Tuttavia, l’esecuzione è scadente. La prosa pomposa, la mancanza di approfondimento e la brevità dei capitoli rendono difficile prendere sul serio il contenuto, facendo sembrare il libro più un esercizio di auto‑esaltazione che una reale indagine storica.

In sintesi, se cercate una lettura leggera e informativa sulla storia degli spaghetti al pomodoro, questo volume non soddisferà le vostre aspettative. L’autore ha scelto di vestire un soggetto semplice con un abito troppo elaborato, lasciando il lettore con la voglia di un piatto più genuino e ben cucinato.

[Lori Alden Holuta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy learning about the origins of food and drinks that are usually taken for granted. In my childhood, spaghetti and tomato sauce was served once a week, without fail. It was one of those 'budget stretcher' dinners that most mid-century American middle class families relied on. To this day, it's a comfort meal that I enjoy very much. My knowledge of the origins of this dish were limited to "Marco Polo discovered pasta" and "People thought tomatoes were poisonous until some brave person ate one and then everyone did."

This book debunks both those notions, and many more. They are replaced with an elegantly told, richly embellished, thoroughly researched history lesson that will open your eyes about the origins of pasta, and how tomatoes finally lost their bad reputation.

Don't be put off when I say that author Massimo Montanari untangles the strands of spaghetti's history in an academic research paper style, complete with the required abundance of footnotes. Hard-core history buffs will appreciate that he's cited his references, but the more casual, curious reader shouldn't feel compelled to scrutinize them. Just read, and enjoy all the historical details and trivia bits as they reveal themselves. Plus, there's the bonus of knowing there will be no final exam when you're done!

My thanks to author Massimo Montanari, Europa Editions, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital advance review copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.

[Jason Frasca]

Quite an interesting and informative read! This begins with a deep discussion on the origin of food, the influence of time, ingredients available, recipes and culture. Then granular details on how each ingredient contributes to the underlying recipe.

It moves on to the origin and evolution of pasta, which interestingly, is similar to bread, with comments about the European and Mediterranean influences, and comparisons to China with similar but divergent processes.

The author goes through great detail into the start of noodles, likely lasagna, with its Mediterranean roots and Islamic influence. By the 12th century, pasta evolved into dried pasta being sold in the market, with conflicting origins, though Sicily and Sardinia contributing greatly in their own right.

The subsoil and culture allowed growth of pasta throughout Italy, with filled pasta being the next common. This had Spanish influence, tortelli and tortellini coming from torte (dinner pastry). Then discussion on the beginnings of macaroni, and ultimately spaghetti.

Long discussion is made on how the historical sauce is white, from cheese, oils and spices. As Spanish conquerors brought tomatoes from South America to the Mediterranean region, tomatoes made themselves known in the Italian world and tomato sauce evolved to what it is known today.

This was quite an interesting read, with a great blend of history, culture, gastronomy and food history. I learned a lot about pasta, Italy, Mediterranean cultures and other influences of the times. I highly recommend

[Books To Bowls · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starting from a 4000-year-old Sumerian cuneiform tablet containing a recipe for a risnatu to a cookbook in 1837 finally tossing in a handful of basil into tomato sauce for the first recorded time you will learn about the many forces, cultures, and customs that had to come together to bring a plate of spaghetti on your plate. You'll learn things such as, 'No, Marco Polo did NOT discover pasta', to 'A truly traditional pasta is to be boiled for over an hour ' and 'Yes, Italians did sort of invent the fork to help them eat more pasta'.

Written by one of Europe’s foremost scholars of the evolution of agriculture, landscape, food, and nutrition since the Middle Ages, the author Massimo Montanari is the Professor of Food History at the University of Bologna and writes like one. Its heavily academic but easily understood and can be read in under 90 minutes. He emphasizes how despite the meal being Italian in the eyes of the world that it is really a symbol of how all the world had to come together to get it on your plate.

In short, an excellent afternoon read to gain some more background on the surprising history of noodles but probably won't change your life. Could be a fun topic for your Thanksgiving table though.

If you are interested in what happens to spaghetti and tomato sauce after the year 1873, you should pick up a copy of 'Red Sauce: How Italian Food Became American' by Ian MacAllen. Your Italian-American uncle will be slinging vulgarities once he learns how much of his Italian heritage has deep American based roots.

[Popup-ch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is actually a rather serious treatise on the background of this quintessentially Italian dish.

The idea of mixing ground grains with some liquid and cook them is of course age-old, but the idea of drying the dough for storage probably came to Italy from the Middle-East, where it's mentioned in Jewish writings from the BC era. At first it was a luxury eaten as a side dish, and often boiled for hours, and optionally fried as well. It only became an every-day stand-alone dish in Naples in the 1500s, when it was almost invariably accompanied by cheese. (This may also have been the single use-case for which the fork was invented. Eating piping hot slippery pasta with the fingers is awkward, and some pointed wooden implement has been

In the early days of pasta it was a side-dish for the well-off. It was boiled for hours (literally) and mixed with lashings of cheese and butter, and served as a side dish with mead or fish. Pasta as a stand-alone dish for the common people, arose in the 17th century Naples (to where pasta making migrated from Sicily), where it was also 'discovered' that it was nicer cooked 'al dente'. Tomato-based sauces only really came into their own in the 19th century, and the quintessentially Italien dish of pasta with a sauce made with tomatoes, basil, onion, garlic and olive oil, topped with grated Parmigiano only appeared as such in the latter half of the 20th century!

[Gaia · Rating 4 out of 5]

8!
Un breve saggio sugli spaghetti al pomodoro, ma prima dì accompagnarti nella storia della pasta, si sofferma su due concetti cari all’antropologia : origine ed identità. L’autore li decostruisce cn semplicità grazie all’aiuto di un grande studioso del Novecento: Marc Bloch: “La quercia nasce dalla ghianda. Ma diventa quercia e tale rimane, solo se incontra condizioni d’ambiente favorevoli, che non dipendono più dall’embriologia”. La parola-chiave e’ proprio incontrare. “Più numerosi e interessanti saranno stati gli incontri, più ricchi saranno i risultati, più forte e robusta la pianta.”
“L’identità è ciò che siamo. Le radici non sono ‘ciò che eravamo’ bensì gli incontri, gli scambi, gli incroci che hanno trasformato ciò che eravamo in ciò che siamo. E più andiamo a fondo nella ricerca delle origini, più le radici si allargano e si allontanano da noi – proprio come accade sotto le piante.”
Le origini abitano il passato, le identità il presente. Le prime non vanno usate per spiegare, sono semplicemente un inizio, le seconde sono invece vitali e in continua dialettica con il presente e con il futuro.
“La cucina è fatta di prodotti, certo, ma soprattutto di ricette. ‘Ricette’ dal latino recipio: prendo (di qua, di là, quello che mi serve) e compongo.”
“Solo in italiano il singolare dì pasta esprime la pluralità delle esperienze.
“Condire con l’olio è diventato ‘normale’ solo nella seconda metà del Novecento.”