Linguine Vs Spaghetti: The Difference Between Long Pastas
True pasta lovers know that the pasta shape you choose for a dish absolutely matters. In fact, some iconic dishes are known by their pasta type, like fettuccine Alfredo or spaghetti carbonara. Each pasta shape comes with a unique texture and defines the final dish. We're taking a closer look at two types of long pasta: linguine and spaghetti. They're both made of wheat flour and water but differ in shape — spaghetti is round and thin, while linguine has a wider and flatter surface. Even though both are very long and fun to twirl on a fork, their history affects which types of pasta sauces they're traditionally served with.
Spaghetti and linguine are very thin because the dough gets extruded through a metal or teflon die, which creates the desired shape and thickness. Strands of linguine are about four millimeters thick, and spaghetti come even thinner. You'll have a hard time making either of these pastas from scratch without a pasta cutting tool because their level of thinness can't really be cut by hand. The Badelite pasta maker machine is the best option for both of them (and other long pasta types), but you could also try a more old-fashioned tool such as the Eppicotispai Chitarra pasta cutter. Now, let's look at which pasta sauces are the best match for linguine and which shine better with spaghetti.
Linguine was the original pasta paired with pesto
Linguine is often compared to fettuccine, but it is much more oval-shaped and not as wide. Instead of looking like ribbons, linguine resemble slightly flattened spaghetti. The name linguine means "little tongues," describing its unique semi-flat shape. It most likely originated in Genoa, a city located in the region called Liguria. If these places sound familiar to you, it's because they're connected with the ancient origin of pesto. The classic basil pesto, pesto alla Genovese, is named after Genoa. The combination of linguine pasta and basil pesto was first mentioned in the 18th century and remains a popular pairing in the Liguria region to this day. A thin, oily sauce is the best type of pasta sauce to pair with linguine, and pesto definitely fits these parameters.
Because Liguria is a coastal region, seafood was always on the menu and inevitably made its way into pasta dishes, paving the path for another timeless combination: Linguine and clams. The white-wine-based sauce in this dish is another example of a thin but incredibly flavorful sauce that lends richness to the linguine. Even though thin sauces are the ideal match for this long pasta, it's worth highlighting that, because of its slightly thicker texture, linguine still performs great in creamier sauces. In a pinch, it can comfortably substitute fettuccine in a thicker sauce, much like in our shrimp linguine Alfredo.
The ideal sauce for spaghetti depends on the thickness of this pasta type
Shaped like a thin string, spaghetti is easily the most recognizable and widely beloved type of long pasta, and its first mention dates back to the 19th century. Spaghetti is certainly unique among the pasta types because it actually comes in a few different thicknesses, which are usually marked with a corresponding number on the box. The numbers depend on the individual pasta brands but, generally, smaller numbers indicate thinner spaghetti and a shorter cooking time, while larger numbers indicate thicker varieties with longer cooking times. The best type of sauce for your spaghetti will therefore depend on the thickness of the pasta.
Thinner varieties, like angel hair and spaghettini, are best served with a lighter sauce, such as aglio e olio — a very simple sauce made of only garlic and oil. Thicker spaghetti, on the other hand, pairs better with substantial sauces because there's more surface to soak up the moisture and flavor. Tomato-based sauces (marinara, puttanesca, bolognese, etc.) are traditionally a huge favorite for spaghetti. Because spaghetti is so thin, it's often paired with vegetables and meat to create a more filling meal — for example, in our colorful vegan garden pasta or the classic carbonara with pancetta.