Pizza vs. Pasta

By Ava Retter

According to Merriam-Webster

Pizza: a dish made typically of flattened bread dough spread with a savory mixture usually including tomatoes and cheese and often other toppings and baked

Pasta: paste in processed form [made of semolina, farina, or wheat flour and water and/or eggs]

(such as macaroni) or in the form of fresh dough (such as ravioli)

History(s)

Pizza 

In the form of dough, tomato sauce and cheese first came around in 600 B.C, in south-western province of Naples (now city of Naples), Italy. Naples was busy, poor and crowded. Civilians there needed inexpensive sustenance that could be eaten fast. Flatbreads with tomato sauce and cheese (and occasionally other toppings) started popping up in street food culture and became the answer. Although a big hit in Naples, it would not be popular outside of the Naples region until the 1940s. Immigrants from Naples-Campania region made their way to America in the 1900s to work at factories the rapidly industrializing country was offering. The beginning of the pizza craze in North America started here, when Italian immigrants recreated the pizzas for a taste of home. Pizza took off after WW2. It was possibly because of the American soldiers who had fought in Italy and gotten a taste of the pizza and wanted to bring it back to the USA. It may also be because of the Italian refugees who came to the USA after and during WW2.

Pasta

Pasta’s roots can be traced back to many places and dates. The earliest roots are in China, as early as 1700 BC to and no later than 1100 BC. They made pasta made of millet flour and water, pulled into long hand pulled noodles. The Silk Road (130 BC-1400s AD) pulled pasta into other parts of Asia, Africa and Europe.

Another popular origin is in Italy, in 300-400 BC, where the Etruscan civilization made small thin pasta and spaghetti looking pasta. These were made of wheat flour (but also any flour the Etruscans could get their hands on) and water. Up to this date in time pasta was fresh and perishable but as early as the 1200s, dried pasta took the center stage, loved for its storability, versatility and convenience. Pasta became more popular in Italy around the Renaissance period (1500-1700s.) During this time, Italians got to work, making over 350 types of Italian pasta. Italy started mass producing dried pasta in the 1800s and through trading and selling it became the corner store stable it is today.

Quick health benefits

These are based on their most basic forms: plain pasta, and pizza dough + tomato sauce + cheese.

Pizza

• Cheese is a good source of calcium, that strengthens your bones

• The tomato sauce has antioxidant called lycopene, which helps lower blood pressure and high cholesterol rates

Pasta

• Unlike a lot of processed foods, pasta has no hidden sodium, so you aren't eating any sodium you don't want in your body

• Pasta is high in fiber which keeps you full without giving you bloating.

Compare and Contrast

1. Older: Pasta

2. Popular first: Pasta

3. Better health benefits: Of course, pizza and pasta both have all sorts of toppings but at the very base of things but pasta is healthier because pizza has more sodium and fats.

4. Fastest (homemade) preparing time: Pasta from scratch: just over an hour. Pizza from scratch: 2 hours or more.

5. Affordability: Whole pizza takeout: 15-25 dollars. Homemade whole pizza: 30-35 dollars. Pasta meal takeout: 10-30 dollars. Pasta meal homemade: 14-18 dollars. Note: homemade is based on the whole upfront cost (meaning you are paying for the whole product not just the proportions.) Pasta is more affordable.

Pasta is crowned better by these 5 factors!