Today pasta enthusiasts globally are celebrating World Pasta Day, an event championed by Italy’s Unione Italiana Food (representing Italian pasta producers) in partnership with the International Pasta Organization (IPO). This year, Philadelphia has been named the event’s symbolic capital, a city that has embraced Italian culinary influences since the 1970s.
The celebration comes amid a banner year for Italian pasta exports. In 2023, Italy shipped 56% of its pasta production abroad, totaling 2.2 million tonnes consumed in homes and restaurants across nearly 200 countries.
TOURISTS CHOOSE CARBONARA
Italian pasta remains a favorite among tourists visiting Italy. Data from Istat and the Ministry of Tourism show that foreign tourists accounted for a record-breaking 57.6% of visits in early 2024. A survey conducted by Unione Italiana Food and Touring Club Italia, drawing on insights from 100 restaurateurs in Italy’s top destinations, ranks the most popular pasta dishes among foreign visitors. Dubbed “Pasta Journey: The Grand Tour of Pasta,” the report reveals that Spaghetti alla Carbonara, Lasagne alla Bolognese, and Pasta al Pomodoro dominate the top spots, followed closely by Spaghetti alle Vongole and Bucatini all’Amatriciana. The full guide is available for download at welovepasta.it.
WORLD PASTA DAY TAKES SOCIAL MEDIA BY STORM
Social media remains central to World Pasta Day festivities. Using the hashtag #WorldPastaDay and tagging WeLovePasta.it, food lovers, chefs, and bloggers are encouraged to share their pasta creations, as over 60,000 posts did last year.