10/17/2025
National Pasta Day is October 17
There are so many things to say about Pasta Day. Here are fun facts.
• The average person living in Italy eats approximately 51 pounds of pasta every year!
• At least 600 different shapes of pasta are made all around the world, and each type has its own purpose.
• Before pasta machines were invented, the dough for pasta was kneaded by foot as workers would walk over large batches of the dough!
• Italy produces approximately 2.75 million tons of pasta each year, while the United States produces around 1.9 million tons annually.
• Almost all packaged pastas are 100% vegan, though some types of noodles do contain eggs.
• In the late 1780s, Thomas Jefferson brings pasta to the US
• In 1877, Barilla Pasta Company is founded in Parma, Italy, and will eventually become the largest pasta company in the world.
Pasta can be used as a main dish, a side and even a dessert. The size and shape of pasta may determine the best sauce to pair with it, too. For example, serve linguine with lighter, thinner sauces to avoid breaking the noodles. A similarly shaped noodle, fettuccine, is less delicate. That's why it carries heavier sauces like alfredo. Pasta is just so versatile.
National Pasta Day encourages everyone to enjoy and appreciate pasta, a staple of Italian cuisine, by sharing meals together. With all those wonderful choices, it’s hard to pick just one favorite. Whatever your pasta of choice is, enjoy your favorite dish with family and friends on this day or, of course, any day.
