Pasta
 A collection of different pasta varieties | |
| Type | Staple ingredient for many dishes |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Main ingredients | Durum wheat flour, water/eggs |
| Variations | Rice flour pasta, legume pasta |
Pasta (UK: /ˈpæstə/, US: /ˈpɑːstə/; Italian: [ˈpasta]) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Pasta was originally only made with durum, although the definition has been expanded to include alternatives for a gluten-free diet, such as rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils. Pasta is a staple food of Italian cuisine, and many historians believe that pasta in a form recognizable today was introduced to Italy through Sicily in the Middle Ages as a result of Mediterranean trade networks.