Remember to cook your pasta Al dente! (or “to the tooth” in Italian). National Pasta Day is October 17th. There are about 350 to 600 different types of pasta so find one you haven’t had before and try it out.

Pasta is said to have originated in ancient China and Greece. It first started to appear in Italian recipes close to the 1200s. Pasta originated in Sicily, Italy in 1154, and it comes from dough that is durum wheat flour. The flour is mixed in water or eggs to make sheets of pasta dough. Then the pasta can be canned, dried, frozen, fresh and even made ready to eat.

Pasta is also an important part of a healthy diet, and it is an excellent source of carbohydrates.

Some pasta shapes are egg noodle, elbow macaroni, farfalle (bow ties) and so many more! In fact, more pasta shapes can be found here.

Facts:

• October is also National Pasta Month.
• In the mid-18th century, the word “macaroni” was also a term for a fashionable man.
• The US consumes about 5.95 billion pounds of pasta every year.
• America’s favorite pasta shape is spaghetti.
• Thomas Jefferson bought a macaroni maker in 1789 after visiting Europe.
• The National Pasta Association was formed in 1904.
• The most expensive pasta was served in 2013 at a restaurant in New York City.

Things to Do to Celebrate National Pasta Day:

• Try to teach yourself a pasta recipe!
• Find some great pasta recipes here.
• Visit an Italian restaurant.
• Try to find some local Italian restaurant and see what kind of pasta meals they have.

Remember to cook your pasta tender and firm and “to the tooth”! Mangia!

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