According to nationalpastaday.com contrary to popular belief, pasta was not brought over from Asia but instead, it was Thomas Jefferson who introduced the delicious carbs to the Americas. He tasted it in Naples, Italy (where my Dad is originally from). At this point in his career, he was the American Ambassador to France. In 1789, he brought the first pasta machine, back to the United States (hooray)! Pasta became a common North American food in the late 19th century with the surge in Italian immigration. And that's how my favourite dish came to be ... gluten-free pasta of course!