National Noodle Ring Day is celebrated on December 11. The day recognizes recipes where pasta is made into a delicious round casserole. Noodle rings are perfect for enjoying, from delicious pasta salad to quite complex baked pasta dishes, limited only by your budget, adventurous spirit, and creative nature. The day is best known for celebrating the pasta dish formed in an 8 or 9-inch ring mold or ‘bundt pan’. For many, making Noodle Ring meals will bring back memories of bygone times in which a ‘bundt pan’ was used to make anything from salads and cakes to pasta. The joy of these fond reminders of loved ones, great meals, and good times, could revive this dish to its former glory.
History of Noodle Ring Day
The Noodle Ring recipe was a favorite back in the 1900s, and the recipe featured regularly in many cookbooks of the time. One of the oldest recipes for Noodle Ring comes from a Pennsylvania Dutch recipe written in 1936. It advises that the noodles should be mixed with flour, milk, egg, and cheese and poured into a ‘bundt pan’, and baked. A similar recipe called Noodle Kugel was made using similar ingredients and was served with filling in the center. It was a popular Jewish dish that appeared on Yom Tov and Shabbat menus. Another record of the noodle ring comes from a Catholic cookbook published in 1965. It recommends the dish be served during lent and the filling for the middle could be vegetables, creamed fish, or creamed chicken.
Today a typical noodle ring is made with a mixture of pasta, eggs, and cheese. Some may also prepare it by mixing eggs, noodles, flour, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, cheese, and other ingredients. This mixture is transferred into a ring mold and baked. Once the baking is done, the noodle ring is removed from the mold and served on a plate with some creamed chicken, vegetable stew, or steamed mushrooms.
The introduction of mac and cheese has affected the popularity of noodle rings. The historic noodle ring is slowly disappearing from restaurant menus and our homes. Noodle Ring Day celebrates this almost forgotten recipe. If you enjoy having noodles, try preparing this for your Christmas (or any other) party dinner, as it easily impresses everyone without needing much effort.
Noodle Ring Day timeline
The earliest written record of noodles is found in a book dated to the Eastern Han period.
Wheat noodles or ‘udon' in Japan is adapted from a Chinese recipe.
A team of archaeologists finds an earthenware bowl that contains 4,000-year-old noodles at the Lajia archaeological site.
Ramen noodles — based on southern Chinese noodle dishes from Guangzhou — become common in Japan.
Noodle Ring Day FAQs
Are noodles the same as pasta?
Noodles generally contain salt, added to develop the softer protein and help bind the dough, whilst pasta is mostly salt-free. This means that noodles are cooked without the need for extra salt. Noodles were traditionally served in a hot or cold seasonal broth whilst pasta had a sauce added.
What kind of recipes work for Noodle Ring Day?
One can prepare pasta in just about every style as a ring noodle — from your favorite lasagna to pasta salad and creamy pasta dishes work well in this format.
What makes Ring Noodles different from other pasta dishes?
Usually, pasta is prepared by boiling them, but in the Ring Noodle recipe, the pasta is baked. This gives it a different texture as the noodles are cooked in the juices of the ingredients added, making it very flavorful.
How To Celebrate Noodle Ring Day
Make a noodle ring at home
Be adventurous and prepare a noodle ring, and enjoy it with family and friends. Serve the noodle ring with your choice of filling and sides. Create a new signature dish!
Learn practically about noodle making
Find out if there are noodle-making classes in your vicinity and learn how easy it is to actually make from scratch. You could then demonstrate your newly learned skills to your kids, and they can do a “show and tell”.
Document your journey online to create awareness
Write a blog or social media post about the joys you experienced in making noodle rings, and thus inspire people with ideas to do the same.
5 Facts About Noodles That Will Blow Your Mind
Noodles weren’t always made of flour
The original noodles in China were prepared with millet, a cereal grown in warm regions, and are small seeds used to make flour.
Ramen can help you save money
If you only have ramen for all your meals, you would only be spending $140 a year.
Noodles have been to space
Instant ramen noodles were the first noodles that were ever consumed in space.
Museum in Japan dedicated to cup noodles
The Yokohama Cup Noodles Museum is an interactive museum dedicated to ramen and its role in the global diet.
It’s polite to slurp your noodles in Japan
Although it is frowned upon in western society, it’s considered an appreciation for your meal to slurp your noodles.
Why We Love Noodle Ring Day
It’s everyone’s favorite
Noodle rings have been a popular favorite since the 1900s and the tradition deserves to live on.
It’s easy to cook
Noodle Ring Day celebrates a dish that is easy to cook, delicious, and nutritious.
It’s a day to celebrate with friends
Celebrate the day by catching up with your friends over a hearty, healthy meal of noodle ring pasta.
Noodle Ring Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | December 11 | Wednesday |
| 2025 | December 11 | Thursday |
| 2026 | December 11 | Friday |
| 2027 | December 11 | Saturday |
| 2028 | December 11 | Monday |
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