When people around the world think of Italian food, their minds often go right to pasta, usually along with pizza. Outside of the nation itself, these two dishes might be the most popular icons of Italian cuisine, but while the roots of pizza begin in the Mediterranean country, historical documents tell a different story about pasta. 

Contrary to popular belief, the explorer Marco Polo probably was not the first person to bring noodles from China to Italy, thus beginning the age of Italian pasta. Historians don't know exactly how the concept of wheat noodles traveled from Asia to Europe, but the people of Italy undoubtedly took the most interest in the newfangled foodstuff, compared to its neighboring countries.