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Pasta in Malta
All types of pasta in Malta: Italian, Maltese style and more!
- Pasta Makes The World Go Round! -

Pasta in Malta

Peace and Pasta in Malta! Today, it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t love pasta! With so many options on the market, including wholewheat, gluten-free, ones made from lentils and beans, it’s hard not to find one you’ll like. It remains a true favourite for many families across the globe, a staple in everyone’s diet.

It’s the quintessential comfort food. One that makes you feel closer to home, to family or to friends. It’s a dietary staple to most, and has been a true testimony to time. It has held its place throughout ancient eras, consumed by our ancestors and a true favourite for families across there globe. It has grown be known to every corner of the world. 

Pasta Spaghetti in Malta

Pasta became such a hit

They dedicated October to National Pasta Month! And believe it or not, spaghetti has its very own day – 4th January!

There isn’t much to be said about pasta itself, if we’re honest. It’s made from the most basic ingredients. Well, our favourite dry boxed pasta, like Barilla, contains semolina flour and water. Fresh pasta, on the other hand, is made solely with flour and eggs (some brands do offer varieties containing eggs). That’s pretty much it! So what more can we say?

Throughout the Middle Ages, breakfast was thought of neither as important nor necessary and was often frowned upon. The Catholic Church considered it to be a sin associated with gluttony and if you were unfortunate enough to wake up hungry and eat, then it must be because you had other lustful appetites such as alcohol. Eating in the morning was restricted to the elderly, the sick or to those who were labourers and farmers and required sustenance to get them through their morning work.

But all this changed at the turn of the 15th century when Europeans started increasingly indulging in breakfast, but if you think that coffee formed part of their morning meal, it didn’t! Can you imagine a world without coffee? It was the 16th century that we owe our thanks to for introducing caffeinated drinks to the market, and in the 1700s it became a popular drink to consume at morning times. Some parts of Europe established meat as part of their morning routine for breakfast, but the majority remained on the ‘contintental’ style that we know nowadays.

Interesting Pasta Points

Instead, we’ve come across some fun stuff related to pasta that we’d like to share:
  • 1. Pasta is synonymous with being Italian, but the Chinese were eating it some 4500 years prior, around 5000 BC. Legend has it that it was Marco Polo who introduced Italy to pasta when he brought it back from China back in the 12th century. But more recent records show that Italy had already been eating pasta by 500 BC.
  • 2. If you’ve read some of our other pages, you’ll know by now that tomatoes weren’t brought to Italy before the 16th century, or thereabouts. Before that, pasta was eaten as is, or perhaps with a sprinkling of cinnamon, sugar and soft cheese. Strange, right? If any of you try it, give us a shout!
  • 3. Knead with your…toes? Yep, that’s what they’d do. Pasta dough is notoriously tough to knead, so those working with it would lay out batches and walk over them. A full ‘walking day’ would only get them through one batch!
  • 4. The amount of shapes and sizes surpasses the 600 mark. With over 1,300 names to remember, there’s no way you could have tried them all! The favourites are spaghetti, macaroni and penne – becoming a global phenomenon.
  • 5. Italians are by far the largest consumers of pasta – around 25 kilos per person annually! Worldwide, over 16 million tonnes of pasta was produced in 2019 – that’s insane!
  • 6. They can get away with number 5 because the typical portion found there is about 100 grams… which, to the rest of the world, isn’t really enough to satisfy our bellies!
  • 7. Al dente is the way to go! Firstly, it does taste better, but there’s also that added benefit of keeping you fuller for longer.
  • 8. Forks or spoons didn’t feature in ways of eating pasta. It was all about the hands! Which makes sense, considering that sauces only became a thing later down the line.
  • 9. Want to boost your mood? There is the common belief among scientists that eating pasta enhances your feeling of well being and makes your happy hormones come to life. This is due to the serotonin which increases when eating carbs (and pasta has quite a bit!).
  • 10. Pasta literally means ‘dough’ in Italian.

Perfect Pasta Places

Pasta in Malta is quite a thing. And Barilla is the king of dried pasta here! There’s obviously a lot of influence coming from its nearby neighbours – Sicily and mainland Italy. And there are a number of Italians who venture out here and open their doors to the Maltese public, there are an equal number of locally owned treasures. It’s a dish the Maltese know well, and these places aim to achieve the best:
  • Pasta Affair
  • Pasta & Co
  • Pastarella 
These guys are top-notch for their dishes oozing with flavour and at affordable prices! Whether it’s a carbonara, lasagna or ragu that you’re after, you’ll find a variety of options – even gluten-fee and wholewheat ones! With most making fresh daily pasta treats, they also offer other choices for anyone that may be better than us at controlling their carb intake! Take a peek into the world of our pasta choices on our food delivery app too. Your perfect pasta dish might be just around the corner!