January 4 is an unofficial holiday—it’s National Spaghetti Day—a day to celebrate the pasta that is commonly served with sauce, meat balls and Parmesan cheese. American are great spaghetti lovers. More than 1.3 million pounds of spaghetti are sold each year in American grocery stores. If those packages were lined up, they would circle the Earth’s equator nine times.
Pasta is thought to have originated in ancient China being brought to Italy by Marco Polo during the 13th century. The pasta form known as spaghetti has origins in Italy and Sicily. “Spaghetto” in Italian means a thin string. Prior to the industrial revolution, spaghetti was a luxury in Italy. Thomas Jefferson is credited with popularizing macaroni in America but it was the Italian immigrants that brought spaghetti to America. Originally, 18 inches (50 cm) long, it is most commonly available in 12 inch (30cm) lengths today.
While there are numerous companies that manufacture spaghetti, the oldest pasta company and the biggest pasta factory in the world is Barilla located in Parma, Italy. Though the company manufactures 150 different pasta shapes, spaghetti remains the simplest pasta shape to produce and the Barilla factories produces miles and miles of the stuff every day. Nearly all Barilla pasta sold in the United States is made in Barilla plants located in Ames, IA and Avon, NY. To maintain consistency and quality, the recipe, wheat blend, and machines used in the Ames and Avon plants are the same as used in the Parma factory.
As part of the pasta family, spaghetti, is a fat-free, low sodium food made from hard wheat. More nutrition can easily be added to a meal by using whole grain pasta options. Gluten-free pasta is also an option to those who cannot tolerate gluten. A plate of spaghetti and meatballs is the epitome of comfort food, but spaghetti is the perfect backdrop for all sorts of toppings and applications such as soups, stir frys, casseroles, and salads.
What is a serving of spaghetti?
When it comes to preparing spaghetti, knowing how much dry spaghetti is needed per serving is always a question. According to the USDA, the proper pasta portion is 2 ounces (56g) of dry pasta per person. Because 2 ounces (56 g) of pasta is determined by the shape of the pasta, Barilla has charts to help determine the right portion of pasta to use. For long shapes—spaghetti, angel hair, linguine, vermicelli, and fettuccine, you can measure the right amount using a scale OR use a dime (approximately ½-inch diameter) for thin shapes or a quarter (approximately 1-inch diameter) for thicker shapes. Once a bunch of long pasta equals the diameter of the coin, you should have the recommended 2 ounce serving which will yield approximately 1 cup of cooked pasta. A pound of pasta is about right for 8 people with the recommended 2 ounces dry per person.
Tips for cooking and serving spaghetti perfectly
- Salt your water. Salt raises the temperature of the water so the pasta cooks a bit faster and adds flavor.
- Use plenty of water and keep it boiling. 4-6 quarts water per pound of pasta is recommended. Bring the water to a boil before adding pasta and return to a boil after adding pasta. Using plenty of water helps prevent sticking and reduces the time it takes for the water to return to a boil when the pasta is added. Keep the water at a rolling boil during cooking and do not cover.
- Stir the pasta. Stirring occasionally encourages even cooking and prevents the strands from sticking together.
- Cook to al dente or firm to the bite. Al dente is usually reached within 8-10 minutes of putting the spaghetti into the boiling water. For recipes with extra cooking time, undercook the pasta by 1/3 of the cooking time.
- Drain and reserve some pasta water for thinning the sauce if needed.
- Plate with a twist and drizzle. Whether served in a sauce or alone, the key to plating spaghetti is to gently grab a serving of spaghetti with a tongs and give it a twist as it is placed on the plate causing the noodles to twist on themselves and pile upward. Garnish, if desired, with a drizzle of olive oil and a little grated parmesan cheese.
Here’s to spaghetti and National Spaghetti Day! Celebrate with a favorite spaghetti dish for dinner or head to your favorite Italian restaurant for a spaghetti entre. Be sure to post your spaghetti pictures on social media using #NationalSpaghettiDay. Oh, and did you know that you should not break spaghetti? Length is needed to keep the Italian tradition of twirling spaghetti on a fork!
