I am so, so, so glad that I don’t have Celiac disease or some other kind of disorder that means I can’t eat gluten. Gluten rules. While bread takes a lot of the glutenous glory, we’re firm believers that pasta is the best gluten product by far. It’s versatile. It’s international. It’s a comforting, rib-sticking meal on a bad day, or a celebratory feast on a good one. Back when I was working at a Mediterranean restaurant on the Upper East Side, I actually got in trouble for selling the pasta specials too well. I’d lovingly describe the rigatoni and its lamb ragu, its warm spices and fall-off-the-bone meat, and the entire damn table would order it. I’m pretty serious about pasta. And so is the United States. We’re so obsessed with noodly goodness that we actually have a whole damn day dedicated to it. And today is that day, October 17th. We don’t normally need an excuse to celebrate macaroni in all its forms, but hey, we’ll take it. It’s true that we should be celebrating by eating a heaping bowl of the stuff, but for now (since we’re working), we’ll celebrate with memes. Buon appetito.