SC - Italian pasta in ancient recipes?

[Thomas Gloning]

Mordonna wrote:
<< Despite myth to the contrary, there seem to be quite a few Italian
Pasta recipes predating Marco Polo.  I think there may be one in
Apicius???? >>

Hm. The earliest italian recipes I know of are 14th century. Do you
mean: (1) that there are earlier italian recipes extant or (2) that
there are earlier recipes in other languages that describe the same or
similar procedures and the same products as the later italian recipes
for italian pasta? In the latter case: what exactly are the procedures
and products for italian pasta in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries?
(e.g. Faccioli 1966, 142: Maccaroni romaneschi). And in what respect is
your Apicius recipe similar to the later recipes.

Then Adamantius wrote:
<< I believe Cato's De Re Agricultura contains recipes for stacked
structures along the lines of lasagna >>

It seems to me that the placenta-recipe in Cato's "liber de agri
cultura" has not much to do with italian pasta. Sure, the stacked
structures are typical for modern Lasagne, but it seems to me that
"lasagne" originally means something like 'broad noodle'; thus Maestro
Martino has a recipe for "Lasagne de pelle de cappone" (Facc. p. 147).
The other aspects of Cato's placenta-recipe seem to be quite different
from other old pasta-recipes I know of (e.g. the filling with cheese and
honey; the use of "alicae").

What do you think?

Th.

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