'Fox & Friends' celebrates National Pasta Day
Chef Ashton Keefe joined the cast to cook breakfast pasta honoring National Pasta Day.
Pasta wasn’t created in the U.S., but Americans do appear to love the Italian dish.
Pasta has become so ubiquitous that it has its own national day – Oct. 17. National Pasta Day observers have countless ways to celebrate, whether it be with their favorite box of spaghetti, pasta maker or local Italian restaurant.
PASTA QUIZ! HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW THESE FUN FACTS ABOUT A FAVORITE FOOD?
Before you get to work on dinner or date night plans, here are some fun facts about pasts.
The inventor of pasta remains a mystery
Pasta has been around for thousands of years. The National Pasta Association’s website Share the Pasta writes that the earliest known reference noodle dish can be traced back to the fourth century B.C.
In Tuscany, there's an Etruscan tomb where an ancient wall mural depicts what appears to be a man making pasta with primitive equipment. The Etruscans were an early pre-Roman civilization that lasted until 27 B.C. It’s not clear when the first pasta dish was officially made.
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There are hundreds of pasta types
Share the Pasta claims there are more than "600 pasta shapes." The national pasta authority says each pasta type serves a "delicious purpose" and can have noodles that are long, short or stuffed while others are better suited for soups or a macaroni dish (cheese or salad).
Although pasta wasn’t created in the U.S. it hasn’t stopped Americans from loving the Italian dish. (iStock)
Of these many pasta types, most are made from white flour, whole grain, wheat or rice, according to Share the Pasta. There are even plant-based versions that have become popular as more consumers seek out gluten-free options, which can be made from grains like barley, rye, spelt, farro, bulgur or from actual vegetables and legumes like zucchinis (also known as zoodles), carrots, squash and chickpeas.
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The world’s most expensive pasta
While pasta has traditionally been an affordable dish, restaurants have created luxury menu items that are made with pricey or rare ingredients.
As of 2013, the "world’s most expensive pasta" was available for order at the BiCE Cucina in New York City, which has one location in Midtown and Soho. Ordering the restaurant’s black truffle and lobster tagliolini pasta would set you back at least $2,000. The dish was served with veal, fried calamari and a chocolate mousse cake, according to lifestyle website luxurylaunches.com.
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Al dente pasta reportedly keeps you full
Some people might prefer their pasta to be soft, but al dente pasta might be better for your digestive system, according to food company and pasta producer Barilla. The al dente cooking style, which means to cook pasta "to the tooth," should result in tender and firm noodles.
Ottavio, a Montréal-based Italian restaurant, also writes on its website that al dente pasta reportedly takes longer to digest, which should leave most consumers feeling full for longer compared to fully cooked pasta.
Al dente pasta also requires more chewing than its softer counterparts, which is a task that might stop some from overeating, according to the International Pasta Organization (IPO) – a nonprofit association dedicated to increasing pasta consumption and awareness.
Some people might prefer their pasta to be soft, but al dente pasta might be better for your digestive system. (iStock)
"And the greater chewiness of "al dente" pasta, not only makes it tastier but also more digestible," the IPO writes on its website in January 2022.
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"Chewing slowly and carefully stimulates the receptors that effect our feeling of satiety, reducing our sense of hunger that leads to eating more," the IPO continues. "What’s more, mastication is the first stage of digestion. Breaking food into smaller pieces makes it mix better with saliva, which is essential for the metabolism and easier to digest."
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Americans like to eat pasta but not nearly as much as Italians do
Pasta stats published in the IPO’s World Pasta Industry Status Report from 2019 says Americans eat roughly 20 pounds of pasta per year, on average. Italians reportedly eat more than double that amount with roughly 50.9 pounds eaten per capita each year.
IPO's 2021 report states that Italy is the place where pasta is most consumed.
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