What is it?

Made from semolina, water, and sometimes eggs, this popular pasta gets its name for the Italian word for “strings,” which is what this long, thin, round noodle resembles. Famously served with meatballs and marinara sauce, it also goes well with olive-oil based sauces.

Kitchen math:

1 pound = 7 to 8 cups cooked

Don’t have it?

Other long pasta strands, such as linguine, can substitute.

How to choose:

Most spaghetti is sold dried in boxes; try different brands to see which you like best.

How to prep:

Boil in well salted water until just tender. Stir early in cooking to keep the strands from sticking together.

How to store:

Dried spaghetti will keep indefinitely in a cool, dry place.

Recipes

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  Recipe

  Whole-Grain Spaghetti with Wild Mushrooms, Bacon, and Rosemary

  Briefly pan-fried with a touch of bacon and umami-rich soy sauce, aromatic mushrooms become the perfect foil for whole-grain spaghetti. With its delicate nuttiness, farro pasta is ideal here, but…

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  Recipe

  Pasta with Calamari, Tomatoes, and Toasted Breadcrumbs

  In Italy, pasta paired with mild-flavored fish is not usually topped with cheese, but breadcrumbs often take its place. Here, the crisp texture and toasty flavor of the crumbs complement…

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  Recipe

  Spaghetti with Shrimp, Lemon, and Chard

  Silken Swiss chard replaces spinach in this delicious riff on shrimp Florentine. A good amount of lemon, in zest and juice forms, keeps things bright, while a bit of cream…

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  Recipe

  Pasta Niçoise

  In this riff on the classic composed salad from the south of France, spaghetti is tossed with seared tuna, green beans, olives, and, of course, ripe tomatoes.

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  Recipe

  Soft-Shell Crab Spaghetti with Spinach and Peas

  New York Times columnist Mark Bittman came up with this brilliant method of cooking soft shells low and slow so they release all their delicious juice, creating a briny-sweet sauce…

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  Recipe

  Oyster Carbonara

  Taking classic spaghetti carbonara over the top, this dish pairs the pasta dish with crispy fried oysters, for unexpectedly delicious results.

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  Recipe

  Classic Linguine with Clam Sauce

  Garlicky and comforting, this pasta dish is a perennial crowd pleaser. A bit of crushed red pepper flake is a welcome addition for those who like it hot.

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  Recipe

  Spaghetti and Clams with Garlicky Green Sauce

  Vividly colored and amazingly aromatic, the sauce for this riff on linguine with clams is made by puréeing parsley and spinach with the broth left over from steaming open the…

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  Recipe

  “Napolitan” Spaghetti

  When the Americans arrived in Japan after World War II, they set up headquarters in the New Grand Hotel in Yokohama. A crowd of hungry GIs had to be fed,…

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  Recipe

  Spaghetti and Meatballs

  大量的牛至和茴香的酒店e tender meatballs super flavorful. This recipe uses a higher proportion of pork than beef or veal in the meatballs because…