Pasta Trivia

By Paula Green

Thanks to Halloween, candy is a prominent October snack. However, pasta is another food celebrated this month. Yes, it's a time for dining on rotini, cavatini, fettuccine, and everything in between. October is National Pasta Month, October 17 is National Pasta Day, and October 25 is World Pasta Day.

Pasta was originally eaten plain (with no sauce), or sprinkled with sugar, cinnamon and soft cheese, served as a dessert. It wasn’t until around the 1700s that tomato sauce was added.

The word "pasta" comes from the Italian for paste, meaning a combination of flour and water. Thomas Jefferson is credited with introducing it to the United States. Jefferson achieved this feat by purchasing the first macaroni-making machine from France and bringing it to the U.S. He later created designs for the construction of a pasta machine.

Pasta is categorized into two styles: dried and fresh. Dried pasta is made without eggs, which allows it to be stored for up to two years. Fresh pasta will generally spoil within a few days. According to the International Pasta Organization, there are over 600 pasta shapes worldwide. A Barilla survey found that Americans' three favorite kinds of pasta are spaghetti, penne, and rotini.  

Interestingly, some of the common pasta dishes — like spaghetti and meatballs or fettuccine alfredo — were invented in America. An influx of Italian immigrants in the U.S. gave rise to an entire cuisine known as Italian-American. Italy, eats the most pasta, closely followed by the U.S. and then, surprisingly, Russia.

In our country, the average person eats about 15-20 pounds of pasta. The good news for Americans is that pasta is a great source of carbohydrates, which provide the body with energy. Pasta contains six of the eight essential amino acids, and when combined with meat, dairy, and other protein foods, it can give you all the amino acids you need in one dish.  

 Al dente pasta is cooked to an ideal consistency that is firm but has a little bit of chew when you bite it. This cooking method not only makes the pasta taste better and more enjoyable but also keeps you fuller for longer. Don't forget the sauce—there's plenty to choose from—marinara, pesto, carbonara, Bolognese, Alfredo, and numerous others.

Since we have simmered our thoughts, we must cook up some appetizing answers. Get set to don those thinking caps because it's time to get a little trivial.      

1.  In this Disney film, a male and female dog share their love and a plate of spaghetti with each other at Tony’s Restaurant.

2. What do you call wheel-shaped pasta? It's used to enhance soups and other dishes.

3. This classic kids' song is a spoof of the folk song On Top of Old Smokey.

4. Name the movie character who ate a dish made of spaghetti with maple syrup, chocolate syrup, M&Ms, marshmallows, and a chocolate fudge Pop Tart.

5. This Chinese dish is made with noodles, vegetables and a protein (chicken, beef or seafood).

6. Name the loveable cartoon cat that loves to dine on lasagna.

7. What do you call pasta tossed with egg yolk, bacon, grated cheese, and cracked black pepper?

8. Italian filmmakers made this genre of Western films in 1960s and 1970s.

9. Name the dumpling-style pasta made from cooked potato, flour, and eggs.

10. Stuffed pasta that comes in square or rounds forms. They’re filled with meat, cheese, spinach, or lobster.

11. In 1937, the Kraft company launched a box version of this pasta dish which is still prevalent today.

12. Campbell's sells canned pasta, which is "a neat little spaghetti that you eat with a spoon."

13. This dish is large pasta tubes filled with ricotta and parmesan and topped with tomato sauce.