Have Fun on National Pasta Day on October 17th!

Whether you prefer spaghetti or penne, lasagna or fettuccine alfredo, there's no denying that pasta has a special place in our hearts (and stomachs). I have a really hard time choosing when I go out for pasta!

So why limit your love of pasta to just one day a year? Embrace your inner Italian and enjoy this delicious dish all year round! Try new recipes, experiment with different types of pasta, and host pasta parties with your friends and family. Who knows, you may even discover a new favorite dish along the way!

Here are some fun ways to celebrate today with your family:

• Have a pasta bar for dinner with different kinds of pasta and sauces

• Try a different kind of pasta that you’ve never had

• Go out with friends to an Italian restaurant and order your favorite pasta

• Cook your favorite pasta together with your family

• Take an online class on how to make your own pasta from scratch

• Look up a new soup, chili, or stew recipe that has pasta in it and put it on your future menu

• Research the history of pasta

• Try to make dinosaur skeletons with different kinds of pasta

• Make pasta jewelry

• Younger students can make letters or short words with pasta or use it to practice math facts

• Make sculptures with pasta (add some googly eyes for extra fun)

• Break apart large flat lasagna noodles and see what kind of mosaic-like pictures you can create. If you have colored pieces, you can stick them onto clear contact paper for a stained glass look.

• Make a sensory bin with colored pasta

Noodle art/play is more fun with colored noodles

• Use 1 tsp rubbing alcohol, a generous squeeze of food coloring OR liquid watercolors, and ½ package of pasta.

• Add ingredients to a gallon sized Ziplock bag and mix well. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes.

• Then empty it out onto a tray or cookie sheet paper towel and let it dry for 2-3 hours. Spread it out some more and let it dry out completely for another 1-2 hours.