National Linguine Day – September 15, 2024

U.S.

Importance
Celebrate

The pesto is blended, the shrimp is boiled. What’s left is for you to add the most important ingredient — linguine. It’s September 15, National Linguine Day!

Linguine, which means “little tongues” in Italian, has an ancient lineage among pasta. Along with its cousin, fettuccine, the signature linguine shape started appearing in bowls across Italy’s Liguria region almost 400 years ago.

Linguine goes well with pesto and seafood, breaking the monotony of the customary red and meat-based sauces. For an easy meal, cook some fresh linguine in salted water until the pasta is al dente. Drain, then add extra virgin olive oil and top off with fresh basil and parmesan or pecorino cheese. Yes, it’s all carbs but it’s also all good! So, today, get your twirl on but make sure you’ve got your napkin handy.

National Linguine Day Activities

Make homemade pasta
Once you see how easy it is to make homemade pasta, you’ll wonder why you haven’t been doing it all along! To make proper linguine, you’ll need a pasta press. Start with a cup of flour and two eggs, hand mix, and in no time, you’ll see your own pasta taking shape.
Let your hair down in Liguria
To throw a truly authentic party, try giving it a Ligurian theme, named after the region that gave the world linguine. Include some local drinks like vermentino or sciacchetrà — and of course some heaping portions of linguine — and you and your guests can jetset to Genoa without an airplane ticket!
Serve it up family-style
Take a barbecue break and create a fun evening eating linguine, family-style. Have some people over, get everyone to help with the meal, then, sit around a table laden with your linguine-based, Italian feast for a fun, get-together with friends.

Why We Love National Linguine Day

Say goodbye to heartburn
For pasta lovers who also deal with the harsh symptoms of heartburn, linguine and its typical dishes are a godsend. Replacing tomato-based sauces and red meat with white wine, cream, garlic, or pesto sauces means you can eat heartily, but spare the heart.
It’s part of the Mediterranean diet
While eating linguine and only linguine itself wouldn’t do much for your health, creating recipes that are based on the Mediterranean diet will certainly serve your soul well. Pasta of any kind is a key ingredient in many typical Mediterranean dishes, and can be paired with vegetables, beans, lentils and even, fruit. So, while it’s true everything should be taken in moderation, you can relax on September 15 knowing you’re not doing any harm to yourself by gorging on some delicious linguine.
It’s perfect for seafood
While the rules for pasta aren’t set in stone, there are definitely a few best practices to follow. One of the most important is how to pair sauces and pasta. Thanks to the delicate, light nature of linguine, it’s perfect for light sauces, either cream or oil-based, that feature buttery, seafood. Clams, shrimp and mussels are also easy pairings that make for great eating.