What to use instead of linguine
More surface, still no cavity. Linguine wants sauces that coat: clams, pesto, oil and garlic, a light seafood tomato. The wide face carries a thin emulsion better than a round strand.
The closest swap: spaghetti
The same strand, round.
Linguine is long strands, 250 to 260 mm long, 9 to 11 minutes in the pot. Spaghetti sits in the long strands family and cooks in 9 to 12 minutes. Match the cook time first. A swap that is right in shape and wrong in time still ends up wrong on the plate.
Every swap for linguine, ranked
A substitute must behave the same way with the sauce you are making. The ones marked as chosen are hand-picked. The rest score on family, cavity, surface, size, and shared sauces.
- 1
Spaghetti
Long strands · Campania
The same strand, round (chosen)
- 2
Trenette
Long strands · Liguria
The Ligurian original, a touch wider (chosen)
- 3
Fettuccine
Ribbons · Lazio
A wider ribbon for a heavier result (chosen)
- 4
Spaghettini
Long strands · Campania
Same family, also solid, also smooth, shares 3 sauces, close in size
- 5
Vermicelli
Long strands · Campania
Same family, also solid, also smooth, shares 3 sauces, close in size
- 6
Capellini
Long strands · Campania
Same family, also solid, also smooth, shares 2 sauces, close in size
- 7
Fedelini
Long strands · Liguria
Same family, also solid, also smooth, shares 2 sauces, close in size
- 8
Spaghettoni
Long strands · Campania
Same family, also solid, also smooth, close in size
Match the sauce, not the look
Linguine is listed against 6 sauces. Pick the swap that holds the one you are cooking.
- Best pasta for vongole: Clams, garlic, white wine, parsley, olive oil. Thin and briny. Spaghetti or linguine; nothing that competes with the shell.
- Best pasta for pesto alla genovese: Basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan, pecorino, olive oil. Raw and oily. Trofie and trenette are the Ligurian pairings.
- Best pasta for frutti di mare: Mixed shellfish in a light tomato or white wine base. Linguine, spaghetti, or calamarata with its squid-ring shape.
- Best pasta for aglio e olio: Garlic, olive oil, chili, parsley. The thinnest sauce there is. It needs a strand that it can coat, with nothing to hide in.
- Best pasta for marinara: A quick tomato sauce with garlic and oregano. Thinner than a ragu, faster than a pomodoro. Strands and small tubes.
- Best pasta for lemon and butter: Butter, lemon zest and juice, parmesan, pasta water. Light and bright. Thin strands and delicate ribbons.
Side by side
The measured difference between linguine and each swap.