We're putting on the pasta tomorrow -- and it's all for a worthy cause.

We're not only celebrating World Pasta Day tomorrow, but also recognizing a humble kitchen staple that's globally known and consumed on all five continents, a food famous for its unquestionable merits, its inclusion in healthy living and its capability to meet both primary food requirements and those of high-level gastronomy.

And Canada's durum wheat connection can be tasted in bite upon bite!

How did this day come to being? According to pasta-unafpa.org, it started when a group of delegates from various countries met in Rome 12 years ago to discuss -- probably over some steaming bowls of spaghetti -- the idea of promoting pasta consumption worldwide, as well as offering a forum to exchange ideas and experiences.

History of Pasta

The group's global strategy was inked and today the economic feasibility, gastronomic versatility and nutritional value of pasta is celebrated on tables across the world.

All said, we really don't need a special occasion to eat pasta -- it's the type of food you can glamour up or serve simply with a touch of this and that. Just eating pasta is a pure pleasure.

Here are some recipes to help you get the party started:

Best-selling author and FoodNetwork star Giada DeLaurentiis has produced an exceptional cookbook called Everyday Pasta (Potter; $39.95) in which she talks about how pasta has always been "one of the great pleasures of the table" and that nothing satisfies a craving for Italian food quite like a bowl of pasta!

Here's a recipe from her book to enjoy:

Orecchiette with mixed greens and goat cheese:

Next time you feel like pasta and a salad for lunch, why not combine the two in this delightful dish.

- 1 lb. (500g) orecchiette (small, disk-shaped pasta)
- 1 1/2 cups (375mL) Mediterranan-style mixed salad green
- 1/2 cup (125mL0 chopped sun-dried tomatoes (packed in olive oil)
- 1/3 cup (80mL) crumbled fresh goat cheese
- 1/2 cup (125mL) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp. (2ml) salt
- 1tsp. (5mL) freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook until tender, but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup (250mL) of pasta water.

Place salad greens in a large serving bowl and top with warm pasta and 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water. Toss to combine and will green. Add sun-dried tomatoes, cheeses, salt and pepper. Toss to combine, adding remaining 1/2 cup (125mL0 pata water, if neccessarly.

Emilia romagna region specialty food recipe