Pasta Kitchen Tips
Fettuccine and spaghetti are two of the most popular long pasta shapes, and each one shines in a different kind of dish.
Choosing between spaghetti or fettuccine really comes down to the sauce you're making and the texture you're after, not which shape is better. Fettuccine's broad ribbons and spaghetti's thin, round strands each pair naturally with certain sauces, and knowing what sets them apart makes it easier to pick the right box for your next meal. Barilla offers a wide range of both, from Classic Blue Box to Gluten-Free, Whole Grain, and Protein+® options.
What is Fettuccine?
Fettuccine is a long, flat ribbon of pasta, typically about a quarter of an inch wide. The name comes from the Italian word for "little ribbons," and that broad, flat surface is its defining feature.
Because each strand has more surface area than a rounder shape, there's plenty of room for sauce to cling to every bite. Barilla offers fettuccine in a Classic Blue Box cut, as well as a Gluten-Free Fettuccine for anyone avoiding gluten.
How to Cook Fettuccine
Cooking fettuccine starts with a large pot of water brought to a rolling boil, with a generous pinch of salt added before the pasta goes in. Stir the ribbons as they cook to keep them from sticking together and cook until al dente.
Before draining, reserve a little of the starchy cooking water. Tossing the fettuccine in that water along with the sauce helps it coat every ribbon.
Best Sauces and Recipes for Fettuccine
The wide, flat shape of fettuccine is well suited to thicker, richer sauces that can cling to its surface, including creamy sauces, cheese-based sauces, butter sauces, and hearty meat or mushroom ragùs. Fettuccine is the staple shape behind classic dishes like fettuccine alfredo, and it works well any time you want a sauce with real body to wrap around each strand.
What is Spaghetti?
Spaghetti is a long, thin, round strand of pasta, and it's one of the most recognizable pasta shapes in the world.
The name comes from the Italian word for "little strings," and its slender, cylindrical form twirls easily around a fork. Spaghetti comes in a range of thicknesses, from thin to thick, and Barilla makes it across several lines, including Gluten-Free, Al Bronzo®, Protein+®, and legume-based options like Chickpea and Red Lentil.
How to Cook Spaghetti
Spaghetti cooks the same simple way as fettuccine. Use a large pot of well-salted boiling water so the strands have room to move, stir to keep them from clumping, and cook until al dente.
Reserve a little of the starchy cooking water before draining, then toss the spaghetti in it along with the sauce so it coats every strand. One more tip worth keeping in mind: breaking spaghetti in half before it goes in the pot isn't necessary and can actually work against the dish. Learn more about there here.
Best Sauces and Recipes for Spaghetti
The round, slender strands of spaghetti pair naturally with smoother, lighter sauces, including garlic and olive oil-based sauces, along with tomato and marinara sauces.
It's the shape behind iconic dishes like spaghetti with marinara sauce, spaghetti and meatballs, and carbonara, and it's also a favorite for seafood pasta dishes, where a lighter sauce lets the other ingredients shine.
Fettuccine vs. Spaghetti: How to Choose
Choosing between fettuccine and spaghetti comes down to the dish you're making rather than one shape being better than the other.
As a general guide, the broad ribbons of fettuccine tend to carry thicker, creamier, and meatier sauces, while the thin strands of spaghetti suit lighter, oil- and tomato-based sauces. Both are versatile enough to bend those guidelines, so when it comes to spaghetti vs fettuccine, let the sauce and the texture you want guide your pick.
Barilla® Fettuccine Recipes
Barilla offers plenty of fettuccine recipes, from creamy classics to vegetable-forward dishes. Some lean rich and comforting, like a creamy Italian sausage fettuccine or a baked tomato and herb cheese pasta, while others bring in seasonal produce, pairing fettuccine with butternut squash, cremini mushrooms, or peas and pesto for something a little lighter.
Barilla® Spaghetti Recipes
Barilla offers many spaghetti recipes across its wide range of spaghetti products. Options range from a creamy, spicy cacio e pepe made with Al Bronzo® spaghetti to a chickpea spaghetti carbonara, along with gluten-free spaghetti and meatballs and a red lentil spaghetti tossed with tomato basil sauce, giving every kind of eater a recipe to reach for.
