Strand pasta, such as spaghetti, is best served with sauces that are rich in oil, which keep the very thin pasta from sticking together. Flat ribbon pasta is excellent with rich, creamy sauces. Also, flat ribbon pasta works well with simple butter sauces.
Explore the different types of macaroni described in the charts, find out how long they need to boil in water to cook, and see what they look like.
Strand pastas
| Italian Name and Translation |
Approximate Cooking Time |
Description |
| Capelli d’angelo (“angel hair”) |
Cooks quickly, in 3 to 4 minutes |
The thinnest pasta of all. |
| Cappellini (“little hairs”) |
Cooks in 4 to 5 minutes |
Slightly thicker than angel hair. |
| Spaghetti (“little strings”) |
Cooks in 10 to 12 minutes |
Long, medium-thick strands. |
| Vermicelli (“little worms”) |
Cooks in 5 to 6 minutes |
Thin strands. |
Flat ribbon pastas
| Italian Name and Translation |
Approximate Cooking Time |
Description |
| Fettuccine (“small ribbons”) |
Cooks in 8 to 10 minutes |
Flat strands |
| Linguine (“little tongues”) |
Cooks in 8 to 10 minutes |
Long, thin ribbons. |
| Tagliatelle (“little cuts”) |
Cooks in 7 to 8 minutes |
Like fettuccine, but a bit wider |
©Corbis Digital Stock
Strand pasta, aka spaghetti
