Antiquity: Honey and Spices Instead of Cheese

In Ancient Rome, pasta-like foods were nothing like what we know today. The Romans ate laganum — something between lasagna and flatbread, which they baked or fried. Instead of cheese, they topped it with crushed nuts, aromatic herbs, and… honey. Yes, sweet pasta was once the norm. Fish, dates, and vinegar-based sauces were also common ingredients.

The Middle Ages: Almond and Rose Water

In the Middle Ages, the first dried pasta began to appear in southern Europe, introduced from the East. It wasn’t dressed in tomato sauce (since tomatoes had not yet reached Europe), but rather with olive oil, saffron, ground almonds, and even rose water. Pasta with cinnamon and sugar was especially esteemed — a combination that seems unusual today, but sweet-and-savory mixes were entirely normal then.

The Renaissance: Buttery Richness

By the 15th century, pasta was no longer food for the poor. Italian aristocrats enjoyed it with melted butter, boiled vegetables, eggs, and nutmeg. In northern Italy, it was served with stewed cabbage and herbs, while in the south, anchovies and sardines became favorites.

The Tomato Revolution

The true revolution came in the 17th century, when tomatoes arrived in Europe from the Americas. Initially seen as ornamental — or even poisonous — it took a bold experimenter to finally combine them with pasta. Thus was born the ancestor of modern pasta sauces, which would forever change culinary history.

Today, it's hard to imagine pasta without cheese, cream, or meat. But looking into the past reveals pasta as a story of taste experiments — a centuries-long search for the perfect pairing. Who knows? Perhaps one day, we’ll try pasta with honey and rose water again — just for the taste of time travel.