It is undisputable that pasta is a staple in the Italian diet, but this has not always been so. As recent as the 1500's macaroni (the term for any dried pasta) was considered an exotic food, reserved only for the upper class. This was because pasta was an expensive food to produce due to the high costs of importing the proper wheat; the time-intensive labor required for making pasta; and the precise weather requirements necessary for drying and preserving pasta.
The Amalfi coast became the center for pasta production. This location along the coast was ideal for importing the durum wheat that is essential to pasta making. Additionally, the warm breezes that gently blow inland from the sea were perfect for drying fresh pasta. Artesian shops popped up all over the area, primarily in Naples, Palermo and Genoa. One could walk along the streets and see festoons of spaghetti, zitoni, and vermicelli drying on canes stretched out across chairs, or hung along balcony railings, or any other available drying space. Strung out in this manner, pasta was dried to perfection by the alternating mild sea breezes and the hot winds blowing from Mount Vesuvius. The alternating breezes ensured that the pasta did not dry too slow.
Pasta manufacturing officially became an "Art" guild in the 16th century. Artesian pasta makers created a multitude of new pasta shapes, limited only by the creators' imagination. Pasta makers were driven to create new shapes that were long or short, large or small, smooth or grooved. Their imaginative creations provided unique eating experiences for Italians. Pasta shapes and recipes became integrated into Italy's regional cuisines based on the eating habits of the locals and what types of other ingredients, such as meat, vegetables or seafood, were available in each area. In part, this explains the current regionalization of Italian cuisine that exists even today in Italy.
The dynamics of the pasta industry changed with industrialization of the new world and technological advances which developed as early as the 17th century. These advances made pasta available to all classes of people. During the 17th century, the number of pasta shops jumped from 60 to 280 in Naples alone. From this point forward, Italians embraced pasta as an essential part of their daily diet.
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