What Is Spaghetti and How Can I Use It?
Spaghetti rewards a little know-how: how to choose it, cook it, store it, and substitute in a pinch. Browse 362 recipes to cook with it.
Key Points
- Spaghetti is a long, thin dried pasta made from durum wheat semolina and water.
- Cook it in lots of salted, rolling water and stir during the first minute.
- Reserve starchy cooking water to emulsify and cling sauce to the noodles.
- Bronze-die extruded spaghetti has a rough surface that grabs sauce better.
- Thin spaghetti (spaghettini) swaps easily; avoid heavy sauces with it.
What is spaghetti?
Spaghetti is the long, thin, cylindrical pasta that turns the simplest ingredients into a meal. It belongs to the dried wheat pasta family, made from durum wheat semolina mixed with water and extruded through metal dies.
The shape is not arbitrary. The long strands let sauce cling along the surface instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl. Bronze-extruded spaghetti has a matte finish. Not a glassy sheen.
The word comes from the Italian spagho, meaning a twisted string or cord. It arrived in Italy from the Arab world through Sicily in the twelfth century. The Moors had been drying thin wheat strands in the sun for centuries before it reached northern Italy.
Drying was the key innovation. Fresh pasta cooks in three minutes. Dried pasta cooks in ten and keeps for months.
You have met spaghetti before even if you do not think about the name. It shows up as the base for carbonara. It is the vessel for whatever sauce happens to be in the pot.
In the Kitchen
Cook spaghetti in plenty of water with enough salt so it tastes like the sea. A one-pound box needs at least four quarts and a full tablespoon of kosher salt. The water should be rolling before you drop the pasta in.
Stir it during the first minute to keep the strands from sticking together. Do not add oil. It coats the noodles and prevents sauce from adhering later.
Cook spaghetti al dente, with a slight firmness at the center when you bite it. Check the package time and taste one strand thirty seconds earlier.
Overcooked spaghetti turns mushy and loses the structure that makes the shape useful. Drain the pasta but reserve about a cup of the starchy cooking water before you pour it out.
That water contains dissolved starch that helps emulsify any sauce into a glossy coating. Toss the drained spaghetti directly in the pan with your sauce for the last thirty seconds of cooking.
Check out Spaghetti Carbonara. A classic one-pan spaghetti dish.
Cooking & Pairing
Spaghetti pairs with everything that has enough body to coat a long strand. Tomato sauces are the classic match. The acidity cuts through the neutral wheat flavor and the liquid consistency clings to the noodle.
Olive oil and garlic work for a minimalist version.
Butter and cheese create the simplest sauce imaginable. Melt a quarter cup of cold butter into hot pasta. Work in half a cup of finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino while tossing vigorously. The starch water from the pot turns the fat and cheese into a creamy emulsion.
Spaghetti also carries meat sauces well. A classic carbonara uses eggs, Pecorino, and guanciale. No cream. The residual heat of the pasta cooks the eggs into a silky coating.
Do not scramble them. Thin, watery sauces are the wrong match for this shape. Light broth-based sauces slide off the noodles. You end up with dry pasta in one bowl and soup in another.
The most common mistake is under-salting the cooking water. Dry pasta absorbs almost all the salt from the water as it rehydrates. There is no way to fix bland spaghetti once it is cooked.
Swaps for Spaghetti
Thin spaghetti (spaghettini) swaps easily when you want a lighter noodle. It cooks faster and pairs better with delicate oil-based or seafood sauces.
Heavy meat sauces overwhelm it. The noodle disappears under the weight.
Angel hair pasta (capellini) is even thinner. It cooks in about two minutes total. Use it with the lightest sauces. It turns to mush past al dente.
Thicker dried pastas like bucatini or perciatelli have a wider diameter and hold chunkier sauces. Bucatini works especially well with Amatriciana because the wider noodle catches the guanciale fat.
Linguine and fettuccine are flat, not round. Linguine is a reasonable swap for seafood dishes where the flat surface catches shellfish juices. Fettuccine is too wide and heavy for most spaghetti sauces.
Whole wheat spaghetti has more fiber and a nuttier flavor. Cook it two minutes longer and expect a heartier chew.
Gluten-free spaghetti gets soft faster and loses structure sooner than wheat pasta. The sauce adherence is poorer because the surface is smoother.
Buying & Storage
Look for pasta extruded through bronze dies. The package will usually label it trafilata al bronzo or note the bronze-die process. Bronze dies leave a rough, matte surface that grabs sauce.
Teflon-coated dies produce a smooth surface that sauce slides off. That is the difference between a good box and a great one. Durum wheat semolina is the only grain that belongs in true Italian pasta.
It has a high protein content and a low gluten content that creates the firm, springy texture you want. If the ingredient list shows anything other than durum wheat semolina and water, skip it.
Good dried spaghetti stores for two to three years in the pantry. Transfer it to an airtight container once opened to keep moths and humidity out.
Check the packaging for the harvest year on the durum wheat. A more recent harvest cooks more evenly.
Cracks or powdery residue signal damage. Keep spaghetti in a cool, dry place away from the stove. It should snap cleanly when you break it. If it bends, skip that box.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 2 oz (57g)Where found
Spaghetti is usually found in the pasta section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
Food group
Spaghetti is a member of the Cereal Grains and Pasta US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.
How much does spaghetti weigh?
| Amount | Weight |
|---|---|
| 2 ounce | 57 grams |
Related
Cereal Grains and Pasta
- In Chinese:
- 意大利面条
- British (UK) term:
- Spaghetti
- en français:
- le spaghetti
- en español:
- los espaguetis
Recipes using spaghetti
There are 362 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Chili Spiced Beef & Bean Stew
A succulent dish that brings some variety to dinner and a tantalizing flavor everyone will enjoy!
Spaghetti Bolognese
My man can't get tired of spaghetti. I try to add new ingredients and play around with the recipe. This one is yummy and it contains some vegetables. I try to add vegtables as much as possible in our dinner. My kids love it too.
Savory Spaghetti & Meatballs
Savory spaghetti and meatballs with ground beef meatballs seasoned by dry onion soup mix, browned and simmered in jarred spaghetti sauce. The 30-minute weeknight version that tastes like a slow-cooked Sunday sauce.
Yummy Spaghetti with Meatballs
Spaghetti and meatballs simmered in a slow-cooked tomato sauce with red wine, mushrooms, green pepper, basil, and oregano. Tender pan-fried beef meatballs and a deeply layered sauce that builds for two hours.
Artichoke Hearts, Cucumber, & Tomato Pasta
Marinated artichoke hearts, warm pasts, crunchy cucumber, and juicy tomatoes are tossed together with the marinade juice from artichoke hearts, some red pepper sauce, and fresh cilantro. Quick, easy, and refreshing.
Pasta with Marinara Sauce & Veggies
Use homemade or store-bought marinara sauce, a few fresh vegetables and pasta to make this quick, easy and tasty one-pan meal that's ideal for a busy week-day supper.
Spagehtti Garlic & Oil
A very quick, easy and simple meal. Use a high-quality olive oil for great results.
Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca
Bold, briny spaghetti alla puttanesca with San Marzano tomatoes, capers, black olives, and anchovies tossed in garlicky olive oil. This quick Italian pasta dish hits the table in 40 minutes with layers of salty, savory depth in every forkful.
Vegan Rancheros Spaghetti
Bright In Color!! ..Great In Taste! ..This Delicious Mexican Style Spaghetti Dish Is Flavorful And Fun To Make!! Served Warm or Room Temperature.. It's Great!! Anytime.. Summer Or Winter!!
Sesame-Crusted Tofu with Spicy Pineapple Noodles
This dish was my dinner yesterday, and it was quite tasty. Loved the sweet, sour and salty flavor, and the well balanced texture.
Pasta with Grilled Summer Vegetables
Grilled summer vegetables are served on top of spaghetti that is tossed with tomato sauce. A refreshing and tasty summer dish!
Little Italy Spaghetti
Spaghetti tossed with a quick vegetable sauce of fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, and green peppers sauteed with garlic, basil, and oregano. Ready in 30 minutes.
Spaghetti Sauce with Turkey Meatballs
Lighter spaghetti and meatballs with baked turkey meatballs in a veggie-packed tomato sauce. Carrots, celery, peppers, and onion build a sauce that's wholesome and deeply flavorful.
Spaghetti with Vegetables & Toasted Almonds
This easy to make one-skillet dish is an ideal busy weekday dinner. Whole wheat spaghetti, lots of vegetables and toasted almonds lend the dish lots of nutrients, and it tastes simply delicious.
Pasta Alla Puttanesca
Quick, easy and delicious. Using whole wheat pasta makes the dish even more nutritious and filling. An ideal one-pan meal.
Easy Spaghetti & Meatballs
Easy spaghetti and meatballs in a from-scratch herb tomato sauce: crushed tomatoes simmered with oregano, basil, and marjoram, then the meatballs simmer right in the sauce. Classic comfort food over spaghetti.
Spaghetti Tacos
Seems odd but the crispy tacos actually go well together and kids love it because it appeared on the kids television show, iCarly.
Soy-Peanut Sauce Noodle with Broccoli
A quick, easy and tasty one pan meal is perfect for a weeknight supper. Feel free to add whatever veggies you have on hand.
Tomato, Basil & Feta Pasta
Whole wheat spaghetti is tossed with tomato sauce, fresh basil, feta cheese and olives. A quick, tasty yet healthy one-pot meal, perfect for busy week days.
Creamy Pasta With Roasted Zucchini, Almond & Basil
Roasted zucchini and almond with whole wheat pasta, topped with creamy basil sauce.
Tuna Pomodoro
Very easy to put together, tastes delicious and it's packed with goodness as well. Perfect for a quick lunch or a no-fuss dinner.
Pasta Puttanesca
This quick and easy pasta dish tastes delicious. For a vegetarian version, just omit the anchovies, and it is still refreshingly tasty.
The Original recipe for SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA
The true original Spaghetti Alla Cabonara recipe, directly from Italy!
Pasta with Mushroom-Pea Marinara Sauce
Something quick, easy and tasty is always great for a busy week-night meal. This pasta with mushroom pea marinara sauce can be done within 20 minutes. It's loaded with yumminess and it's good for you.
Spaghetti with Roasted Zucchini & Olives
A delicious way to cook zucchini, and it's such a yummy combination for you to enjoy.
