The North Dakota Wheat Commission is celebrating National Pasta Month in October and they encourage you to as well! The Commission has celebrated Pasta Month for decades as a way to recognize the state’s durum producers, mills, and pasta manufacturers and the role they play in putting pasta on the plates of consumers around the world. Each year, a new theme is developed to celebrate the occasion. This year’s theme is “Do Yourself a Flavor!” This theme is an encouragement for consumers to enjoy their favorite pasta dish or try a new recipe. Pasta is an extremely versatile food and the dishes made from this staple food range from comfort style dishes to unique pasta dishes made with non-traditional ingredients. With over 600 shapes of pasta, diverse sauce options and unlimited options for vegetable or protein add-ins, there are endless possibilities for delicious meal options.
North Dakota remains the largest durum producing state in the country with average production of 35 million bushels, enough to produce 1.5 billion boxes of pasta! The state also boasts numerous processing facilities including Minot Milling (a division of Philadelphia Macaroni), Dakota Growers Pasta (8th Avenue Pasta) and the North Dakota Mill, in addition to some smaller facilities. While the bulk of the state’s durum production is processed in country, about 30-40% of production is exported in a given year. Top export markets include Italy, Algeria, Morocco and Nigeria.
To help celebrate Pasta Month, the Commission will be partnering with statewide media to provide durum and pasta facts and trivia. Readers and listeners will have a chance to win a pasta prize package, so have your ears and eyes open! Thank you to our prize sponsors: Dakota Growers Pasta, Philadelphia Macaroni, North Dakota Mill, and the U.S. Durum Growers Association. For great pasta cooking tips and recipes, visit www.sharethepasta.org and for more information on pasta month, visit www.ndwheat.com
