How To Celebrate National Spaghetti Day

What better way to kick off 2017 then with a night eating the most iconic pasta dish of all time? Even though the reason as to why National Spaghetti Day was dubbed on Jan. 4 is unknown, let’s be honest: without the simple dish of spaghetti and tomato sauce, you probably wouldn’t have survived your late teens (or even your early 20s). So if you want to recognize the dish that helped you survive, then here are some ways to celebrate National Spaghetti Day.

Before even diving into simple and scrumptious dishes you can make for dinner, there are a few things that you need to do in order to prepare. For example, it may not be a bad idea to buy this spaghetti fork with a rotating head (it'll make your spaghetti spinning skills the stuff of dreams), and to also show your spaghetti loving pride with this graphic tank. Also, what better way to celebrate this national holiday then to watch the movie that made spaghetti magical when you were a kid: Lady and The Tramp.

Don’t feel like cooking? Usually different restaurants will have deals for National Spaghetti Day. Last year Noodles & Company was actually handing out free bowls of pasta! Keep an eye out for your favorite pasta spots, because there’s bound to be some deals going on.

But if you do feel like cooking, here are a few delectable dishes to enjoy:

Spaghetti & Meatballs

Just looking for the classic dish? This recipe by Natasha’s Kitchen walks you through how to make homemade meatballs, served on top of a delicious bed of spaghetti and red sauce.

Four Cheese Spaghetti

I admit, even though I grew up eating mostly Italian food at home, I am not a fan of red sauce…I usually go for the cheesy Alfredo sauces. So out of all of these recipes, I’ll most certainly be making this Four-Cheese Spaghetti dish by Damn Delicious.

Spaghetti Alla Carbonara

Want to give that cheesy spaghetti a bit of a twist? This carbonara recipe by The Kitchn is about to be your perfect upgrade by adding guanciale (or pancetta) to your dish.

Mushroom Lentil Spaghetti Bolognese

This particular dish by Love and Lemons is heavy on the vegetables and made with gluten-free spaghetti!

Vegan Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca

Not only is this dish by Cookie & Kate vegan, but it calls for a mix of whole grain spaghetti and spiralized zucchini noodles. What a combo!

Taco Spaghetti

Not the biggest fan of Italian food? This pasta dish by Damn Delicious has a Mexican spin using simple taco ingredients to give the spaghetti a whole new flavor!

Paleo Spaghetti Squash

Did you by chance take on the paleo diet? No sweat — you can still enjoy National Spaghetti Day with the most popular alternative: spaghetti squash! This paleo recipe by Nom Nom Paleo actually walks you through how to make spaghetti squash in a pressure cooker!

Crockpot Spaghetti Squash Bolognese

Not on a paleo diet, but still want to use spaghetti squash? Try this Bolognese recipe by Half Baked Harvest, making your cooking way easier by using a crock pot!

Italian Spaghetti Pasta Salad

This pasta salad by Foodie Crush will not only be a great dinner, but a perfect easy leftover lunches throughout the week!

Broccoli Spaghetti Frittata

Who thinks spaghetti for breakfast is totally a thing? Buddy the Elf certainly does….and so does The Kitchn.

Baked Garlic And Fontina Spaghetti

This is probably the perfect combination of cheesy and saucy pasta that you’ve been dreaming of, so if you’re craving both, try this recipe by Mel’s Kitchen.

Buon Appetito, my friends, and enjoy your spaghetti!