According to food experts, there are over 600 different varieties of pasta. Think about that number for a moment. There are long pastas, short pastas, pastas that were made for soups, and pastas that can be stuffed. That means just about anyone can enjoy them any way they want and in a thousand different recipes.

Unfortunately, we sometimes get locked into serving the same types of pasta again and again. That doesn’t have to be the case, however. October was turned into National Pasta Month to remind everyone that there are plenty of different pasta options available to us, if only we take the opportunity to discover them.

The History of National Pasta Month

Even though we spent a considerable amount of time researching this month, we were unable to uncover who invented National Pasta Month. We’re not even sure when it was invented. All that we know is that it’s been around for a few years to encourage people to enjoy more variety in their pasta choices.

We might not know the history of this month, but we’re pretty confident in our understanding of the history of pasta itself. It’s believed that people began making pasta in ancient China and Greece.

Exactly when, no one really knows. What is known is that pasta began showing up in Italian cookbooks during the 13th century and it was widespread across Europe by the 14th century.

Some Tasty Pasta Facts

Since we think everyone needs a side of knowledge with their pasta, we decided to look up some tasty pasta facts for everyone’s enjoyment. Let’s look at them while enjoying a heaping plate of noodles with sauce.

• Spaghetto is the singular word for the plural word spaghetti.
• Al dente pasta takes longer to digest, so it makes a person feel fuller longer. It also happens to taste better.
• The average Italian eats approximately 60 pounds of pasta per year.
• The average American eats approximately 26 pounds of pasta per year.
• World Pasta Day falls on October 25th.
• The word “pasta” comes from the Italian word for “paste.”

Observing National Pasta Month

The first thing that a person should do when thinking about observing October as National Pasta Month is to think about some of the different types of pasta they might enjoy.

Although most people have tried spaghetti, mostaccioli, and lasagna, fewer people are familiar with Radiatori, Gemelli, and Trofie, so those are the ones that some people might want to try out. We also suggest that people spread the word about their favorite pasta types on social media using the hashtag #NationalPastaMonth.