Spaghetti

Foods, Culinary bases, Flour-based foods, Shaped unleavened doughs, Italian pasta

Availability: Italy 🇮🇹

Introduction

Spaghetti are a classic pasta variety, notable for their elongated, cylindrical shape and crafted solely from a blend of durum wheat semolina and water.

They are commonly distinguished from similar long pasta types by their narrower diameter. For instance, while vermicelli might appear close in shape, they are thicker due to being shaped through wider molds. Spaghetti also differ from items like spaghetti alla chitarra, which have a square profile and are shaped using a wire-string frame instead of traditional dies. Other long pastas, such as bucatini, are made with a hollow core, and linguine have a flattened, oval form rather than a round one.

Despite minor variations in thickness depending on the producer, spaghetti typically act as the reference point for sizing other round-sectioned long pastas. Thickness usually increases in a progressive sequence, starting from the finest like capelli d’angelo (also known as capellini or fili d’angelo), moving up to spaghettini, then spaghetti themselves, followed by spaghettoni, vermicelli, and the thicker vermicelloni.

History of spaghetti

The first known reference to dry pasta production in Italy dates back to the 12th century, thanks to the Arab geographer Muhammad al-Idrisi. Writing during the reign of Roger II of Sicily, al-Idrisi described Trabia, a town near Palermo, as a place known for its manual production of long, thin strands of dough, called itriyya—a term of Arabic and Greek origin. This early form of pasta, derived from the Roman laganum, was dried and widely exported across the Mediterranean, reaching both Muslim and Christian territories.

Al-Idrisi’s description indicates the birth of a pasta industry, centered in Sicily, where drying techniques from the Arab-Jewish world merged with ancient Roman methods. This fusion led to more durable, transportable pasta, which evolved into longer and thicker formats later known as vermicelli and eventually spaghetti. These products became increasingly popular and were traded northward through the Italian Peninsula and southward into North Africa, especially sought after by Berber merchants.

By the late 1100s, vermicelli had made their way to Amalfi, Naples, and Salerno, where they gradually took on their modern form and name. During this time, other Italian regions—particularly those involved in maritime trade, like Pisa, Genoa, and Venice—helped spread pasta to the central and northern parts of the country. Records from 13th-century Pisa show contracts for vermicelli makers, while cookbooks like that of Maestro Martino detailed their preparation.

Meanwhile, Gragnano, near Naples, emerged as a pasta-making hub. Its favorable climate, combined with technological innovations like the screw press, allowed for mass production. Gragnano absorbed much of Amalfi’s pasta industry and established itself as a key center, especially as dry pasta became a staple for the poor, offering long shelf life and affordability.

In the 17th century, during a famine in Naples, dry pasta—particularly spaghetti—became even more essential. Over time, mechanized production began to replace manual techniques, especially in 19th-century Campania. The word spaghetti itself appeared in 1824, coined by Antonio Viviani, and soon replaced earlier terms like maccheroni or vermicelli.

Initially, spaghetti was eaten without utensils, typically using one’s hands, even when forks were available. This custom lingered due to tradition and the impracticality of early forks with sharp, three-pronged tips. Spaghetti was usually served with olive oil, cheese, and pepper until the 18th century, when tomato sauce began to appear. The first visual evidence of spaghetti with tomato sauce comes from an early 1700s Neapolitan nativity scene, while published recipes emerged later in the 18th and early 19th centuries, notably in Cavalcanti’s famous cookbook.

Spaghetti production method

Dry spaghetti (most common type)

Most dry spaghetti is produced in large-scale factories using screw-driven extruders. Though relatively straightforward, the process demands close attention to ensure that the dough mixture is consistent and free of air pockets. The forming dies must be water-cooled to prevent the pasta from overheating and losing quality. Once shaped, the noodles go through a carefully regulated drying phase, which prevents the strands from clumping and maintains the right level of moisture to avoid brittleness. Modern packaging—now mostly plastic bags or boxes—has evolved from older paper wrappings, offering better protection and visual appeal.

Fresh spaghetti

Classification of spaghetti

Spaghetti are classified based on their size. Among the types, we can find:

• Capelli d’angelo
• Spaghettini
• Spaghettoni
• Vermicelli
• Vermicelloni

Nutritional facts table

Please note that nutritional values may vary slightly depending on the producer or the exact ingredients used.

Nutrients	Per 100 g dry weight	Per 100 g fresh weight
Calories (kcal)	359	240
Total fat (g)	2	1
———Saturated fat (g)	0.5	0.2
Cholesterol (mg)	0	0
Sodium (mg)	0.5	0.67
Total carbohydrates (g)	70.9	48
———Dietary fiber (g)	3	2.6
———Total sugar (g)	3.5	0.4
Protein (g)	12.8	8.7

Recipes that use this product as an ingredient:

Carbonara (Pasta alla Carbonara)