Spaghetti is the plural form of the Italian word spaghetto, which is a diminutive of spago, meaning “thin string” or “twine”. The word spaghetti can be literally translated as “little strings”.
The tomato has been central to Italian cuisine since its introduction from the Americas. Outside of Italy, this perception can be quite exaggerated: many people know little of Italian cuisine beyond pasta with tomato sauce. Italian varieties of tomato sauce range from Puttanesca sauce, seasoned with anchovies, capers, garlic, chili peppers and black olives, to Bolognese sauce, a predominantly ground-meat sauce which normally contains a small-to-moderate amount of tomato.
Ettore Boiardi (October 22, 1897 – June 21, 1985), better known as “Chef Boyardee“, was an Italian-born chef who became famous for his eponymous brand of food products. Boiardi appeared in many print advertisements and television commercials for his brand in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.