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 traditionally 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. While Asian noodles
originated in China, pasta is believed to have developed independently
in Italy and is a staple food of Italian cuisine, with evidence of
Etruscans making pasta as early as 400 BCE in Italy.