This Is the Most Loved Pasta Shape in the US, According to Barilla

Whether it’s simple buttered noodles, bucatini with an all-day bolognese, or baked ziti, pasta is the food I come back to when I’m looking for comfort, convenience, and affordability. It doesn’t hurt that it’s one of the few foods my family of four can always agree on, though we don’t always want the same pasta shape.

My kids prefer angel hair, while I gravitate towards sauce-clingers like mafalde or soup’s favorite noodle, ditalini. But according to the pasta maestros at Barilla, the most loved pasta shape in the United States is good old spaghetti.

Spaghetti is Barilla’s best-selling shape, and according to the pasta brand, 60 percent of consumers living in the Southern, Western, and Midwestern regions say that spaghetti is their favorite cut (By contrast, the North gravitates toward tubular cuts like ziti, rigatoni, and penne.) Despite a surge in newer shapes over the past few years, the classics are holding strong. Overall, according to Barilla’s National Spaghetti Day Survey, the top three pasta shapes are spaghetti, angel hair, and penne. Fettucini and lasagna round out the top five.

Spaghetti is the little black dress of ingredients. You can dress it down with an easy tomato sauce or butter and cheese, or you can doll it up with shaved truffles or a flurry of bottarga. Barilla attributes spaghetti’s popularity to its versatility and ease of preparation. “As an iconic Italian dish, spaghetti carries a rich culinary history and tradition that many cultures appreciate,” Barilla shared in an email. “Many find spaghetti dishes comforting and nostalgic, often reminiscent of family meals and home cooking.”

Tips for Preparing Spaghetti, According to Barilla

• Fill a large pot with water, bring to a boil, and add salt.
• Barilla’s Executive Chef recommends adding 4 teaspoons of salt per gallon of water.
• Do not add oil to the water.
• Don’t break the pasta! “The length of spaghetti plays a vital role in how it interacts with the sauce, which is why we don’t recommend breaking your spaghetti,” Barilla said via email. “The longer strands enhance sauce retention by creating a more flavorful and cohesive bite. Breaking pasta disrupts this harmony.”
• Cook pasta until al dente, stirring gently about every three minutes.
• For cold pasta salads, cook the pasta for one minute less than the package instructions.

A Few of Our Favorite Spaghetti Recipes