PASTA TYPES

Spaghetti Recipes

With their familiar long, cylindrical shape, strands of spaghetti are emblematic of Italian cuisine. The name comes from spago, which is Italian for ‘thin string’. Historically, strings of spaghetti could be 50cm in length (that’s Lady and the Tramp long), but these days shorter lengths of around 25cm are more common. Spaghetti are made from durum wheat flour and water – what the Italians call a pasta bianca, or white dough. They’re shaped using an extruder: a machine that pushes dough through a mould called a ‘die’.

Scroll down for our favourite spaghetti recipes, or if you’d rather just get straight to the eating, check out our menu to see what spaghetti dishes are in this week’s pasta boxes.

Spaghetti Recipes Order Now

Our favourite
Spaghetti recipes

With their thin strands and rough surface, spaghetti are an ideal match for lighter sauces – whether that’s an olive oil-slicked pesto, a glossy tomato sugo or a creamier concoction like carbonara. One word of advice. To avoid offending nonnas across Italy, we’d recommend steering away from serving your spaghetti with chunky sauces like meat ragù. With spaghetti bolognese off the menu, here are some alternative, authentically Italian spaghetti recipes.

OUR FAVOURITE SPAGHETTI RECIPES - BUON APPETITO!

MEAT

Classic Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Serves: 4
Cooks time: 25 MINS
Difficulty: EASY

FISH

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

Serves: 4
Cooks time: 30 MINS
Difficulty: EASY

VEGETARIAN

Spaghetti al Limone with Pink Peppercorns

Serves: 4
Cooks time: 1 HOUR
Difficulty: EASY

MEAT

Spaghetti all'Amatriciana

Serves: 2
Cooks time: 30 MINS
Difficulty: EASY

VEGAN

Vegan Carbonara with THIS™ Plant-Based 'Bacon'

Serves: 4
Cooks time: 25 MINS
Difficulty: EASY

SEAFOOD

Spaghetti alle Vongole

Serves: 2
Cooks time: 30 MINS
Difficulty: INTERMEDIATE

VEGETARIAN

Spaghetti alla Nerano

Serves: 4
Cooks time: 40 MINS
Difficulty: EASY

SEAFOOD

Spaghetti alla Busara

Serves: 4
Cooks time: 40 MINS
Difficulty: EASY

MEAT FREE

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Serves: 4
Cooks time: 10 MINS
Difficulty: EASY

VEGETARIAN

Vegetarian Courgette Carbonara

Serves: 4
Cooks time: 30 MINS
Difficulty: EASY

MEAT

Spaghetti alla Chitarra

Serves: 4
Cooks time: 2 HOURS 15 MINS
Difficulty: INTERMEDIATE

SEAFOOD

Squid Ink Pasta in Wine Sauce

Serves: 4
Cooks time: 40 MINUTES
Difficulty: INTERMEDIATE

“YOU MAY HAVE THE UNIVERSE IF I MAY HAVE ITALY.”
- GIUSEPPE VERDI

WATCH OUR VIDEO

How to make your
own spaghetti

Learn all about extruded pasta shapes, as well as alternative options that can be made without a pasta extruder.

Many pasta shapes are made using extruders to force dough through dies. In this video, Lia from the Pasta Evangelists' team covers how to make extruded pasta at home, as well as methods to make common extruded shapes by hand for those who don’t have an extruder at home.

Spaghetti FAQs

How much spaghetti should I serve per person?

Italians eat smaller portions of pasta because it’s served as a primo (first course), with more food coming after. In the UK, pasta is often the main meal – so you can be more generous. For dried spaghetti, serve 100g uncooked pasta per person. For fresh, serve up to 120g.

Our Guide to pasta portion sizes

How long should I cook spaghetti for?

For dried spaghetti, the packet instructions are a good starting point. Depending on how much of an al dente bite you like, you might want to cook the pasta for a few minutes less than these instructions. Fresh spaghetti cooks more quickly, normally in around 3 minutes.

How to cook pasta to perfection

How do you stop spaghetti from sticking?

There’s no need to add oil. You just need enough salted water (1 litre of water and 10g of salt for every 100g of pasta) and a pan that can hold it. Get your water to a rolling boil before adding the salt, then the pasta. Stir once you add the pasta, then again whilst it cooks.

How to serve pasta like an Italian

PASTA DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR

Our Weekly Menu

Ready to branch out from spaghetti bolognese? From familiar favourites like spaghetti carbonara, to regional recipes like spaghetti alla puttanesca or spaghetti all'amatriciana, we’re always looking for exciting ways to serve handmade spaghetti on our menu. Our fresh pasta is available for delivery across the UK.

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