This short book delivers what it promises: a detailed history of how every element of the famous italian dish came to be part of what we now consider the embodiment of Italian cuisine. From the arrival of each ingredient to Europe or the Italian peninsula, its transformation through the centuries until they became the foods that we consume today, and how the whole dish evolved and ended up being so prevalent in Italian households.

The author also makes a point of saying that cultures, and that includes culinary traditions, are not static, they don't originate in one place and remain the same through millenia. History changes, lives change, cultures shift. Spaghetti and tomato sauce have gone through the same, so although they now conjure images of the Italy, that wasn't always the case, and that's something to keep in mind.

That said, I find the tone of the book can be a bit dry at times. The information is interesting, but it is presented pretty matter-of-factly, and sometimes it can read a bit uninspiring. It seemed more like a book I'd read at an introductory class to the history of food than as a book directed to a wider audience or as popular history.

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

I love pasta - who doesn’t? I will eat it wherever I am, but nothing compares to eating proper Italian pasta on the promenade by the lakes in Italy - usually served by a dashingly handsome man. But where did this love come from? It’s not something I’ve really thought of much before, but this really whetted my appetite - figuratively and literally.

It is this kind of book that makes me regret not pursuing history further than year 9 (13-14 years old). It is fascinating to think that something as deceptively simple and well known as pasta could be so complex.

For such an Italian dish, it is interesting to see Massimo travel through Europe and Asia to find the origin. It’s important to remember that in order to find out the most about our pasts, we must look to other cultures.

It is a very factual heavy book, but at a small page count, it is a quick and interesting read that never feels like a slog or an effort to get through.

A Short History of Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce is such a fun nonfiction novel telling the history of Spaghetti and debunking the myths we think we know on the topic. There are so many fun facts throughout, on top of facts regarding how each ingredient came together and where we can trace them to. Those who love spaghetti will be thrilled, as well as history buffs alike.

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