We've elevated the workhorse noodle in your pantry! The Story Spaghetti was invented a thousand years ago. The wheat was so high in protein it made it possible to make a pasta that could be dried and stored. The first record known about spaghetti on Italian soil is through the work of an Arab geographer from the middle of the 12th century. Spaghetti is the plural form of the Italian word spaghetto, which comes from the root word spago, meaning cord, string, or twine. Spaghetti has crossed cultures and boundaries like no other nomadic noodle. Incredibly, every country has its own unique take on recipes and methods of cooking and presenting. In the Italian Market area of Philadelphia, where our first store came onto the scene in 1939, locals sit down on Sunday night to Spaghetti and Gravy. The origin of the word gravy has its roots in South Philly. The neighborhood vernacular resulted from a language misunderstanding when Italians immigrated to America. In Italian, ragu means gravy but it also means sauce. Italians in Italy never intended to call tomato sauce gravy. Something just got lost in translation. Quick Facts Country of Origin: USA Unit Size: 16 oz (454 g)