Pasta is usually manufactured from wheat flour or semolina and water. It is a staple food in many cultures. A bas relief on an Etruscan tomb dated about 400 BC depicts equipment for pasta making. Pasta is also mentioned in the writings of Cicero of the 5th century AD who was very fond of tagliatelli. Therefore, despite popular belief that Marco Polo brought pasta back to Italy from Cathay, the Italians and Chinese were evidently familiar with it long before his time.

There are around 50 varieties of shape which are generally similarly priced. However, lasagne, tagliatelli, vermicelli and nested shapes are more expensive as they require specialised manufacturing methods. Pasta can be divided into four types - small shapes for soup, long pieces for boiling, sheets for baking and shapes for stuffing.

Fresh pasta will keep refrigerated for 3 - 4 days or can be frozen for up to a month. Dried pasta is sold mainly in cellophane packs and will keep indefinitely in a cool, dry place.

Ribbed pastas are best for meat sauces and smooth for cream or cheese sauces.

Pasta is part of the staple diet in Southern Italy. (Rice and polenta are most popular in Northern Italy.) Italy is the largest exporter of dried pasta. Spain, Portugal, Greece, Belgium and Holland also export it.

There has been a boom in pasta consumption across the UK in the last 20 years owing partly to the increasing demand for convenience foods, together with the trend towards healthier eating.

Pasta made from durum semolina is recognized to be premium quality. Durum semolina is a fine flour manufactured from the cleaned germ of durum (hard) wheat. Brown pasta is made from wholewheat semolina.

Adding tomato and spinach to white pasta gives the red and green colours. Squids Ink pasta is black and is manufactured, as the name implies, by adding squids' ink to the pasta.

Durum wheat is milled into semolina. Water is added to make a dough. It is then cut and dried. In the production of lasagne and tagliatelli, the dough is enriched with egg.

Pasta is high in fibre and low in fat and sugar. It is full of complex carbohydrates which give a slow and steady release of energy. It is therefore used by weight trainers etc.

Italians simply add butter and cheese to it, or oil and garlic. It can be eaten hot or cold, in salads, soups or puddings. Add olive oil in cooking to prevent it sticking together.

• Lasagne

  Sheets of pasta dough 10-12cm width. Often with rippled or curly edges. Lasagne verde is spinach flavoured.

  To use: boil, then layer in shallow ovenproof dish with vegetable sauce topped with cheese, and bake.

• Macaroni

  Thick, long, hollow shapes, often broken into 3 cm lengths for baking. Boil or bake with sauce.

• Penne

  Thick, hollow tubes like the stems of a feather, with the ends cut at an acute angle. Boil and serve with sauce.

• Spaghetti

  Long, cylindrical, dried pasta. Spaghetti al sugo is spaghetti with meat sauce and Spaghetti al pomodoro is spaghetti with tomato suce. Pommarola 'N Coppa is topped with sauce of fresh tomatoes with onions, bacon and garlic browned in olive oil.

• Wholewheat Pasta

  Combination of wholewheat grain and white flour.