Is fresh pasta just good marketing? I noticed some questions about fresh Lasagne sheets and it reminded me of something I heard, but sadly too long ago to be able to attribute although probably a chef on TV (I'm un the UK), and that was that Italians always use dried pasta and that fresh pasta was just something that had become popular outside Italy, probably because anything "fresh" always sounds as if it should be good. So, great for supermarkets and chefs!

Please note, I realise that certain pasta must be fresh, for instance when making ravioli. I'm really just referring to spaghetti, tagliatelle, linguine etc.

Also, although Italians (are said) to use dried pasta it is not just a convenience; they are still concerned about the quality of the pasta and may even make it and dry it themselves.

So, to summarise, is it true that Italians generally use dried pasta and that fresh pasta, other than where obviously required, is really just a marketing concept to get people to pay more?
Firstly, there is no one way Italians use pasta.  Italian cuisine is defined regionally, and each region's cuisine approaches pasta somewhat differently.  Secondly, it might be better to consider fresh and dried pasta almost as different ingredients.  They produce different results and are used in different dishes.  I presume that more dried/factory produced pasta is consumed than fresh both in Italy and elsewhere, simply for reasons of convenience.  However, it is not just "marketing", in my opinion.  Fresh pasta, in the correct applications, is delicious, and the correct ingredient for the dish.