Linguine

Linguine pasta is a long dry pasta of durum wheat semolina with a flattened, slightly convex section, which De Cecco likens to a small, narrow, flat tagliatella. Barilla and Rummo place its birth in Liguria, around Genoa, where it has always gone with pesto alla genovese; most brands cook it in 8 to 12 minutes. ²¹⁴

The shape and size. Rummo gives exact measurements for its linguine n° 13: 260 mm long, 3.3 mm wide and 1.55 mm thick. ⁴ Its gluten-free version is a touch smaller, 250 mm by 2.95 by 1.50 mm. ¹⁴ Barilla and De Cecco say that the flat, slightly domed section catches the sauce and gives back its full range of flavours. ¹²

A Ligurian pasta. Barilla says linguine were born in Genoa and calls them the Ligurian long pasta par excellence. ¹ Rummo writes «linguine (or trenette)» and links them to pesto alla genovese. ⁴ Agnesi's trenette, a Genoese twin with a biconvex section, are cooked in Liguria with potatoes and green beans before the pesto goes on. ¹²

What is in them. Under Italian law, dry pasta sold as durum wheat semolina pasta may contain only semolina and water. ³ Divella's linguine n° 14 give 355 kcal and 13 g of protein per 100 g, and may contain traces of soy and mustard. ⁷ Like all wheat pasta they contain gluten, an allergen that EU labels must highlight. ¹⁶

How long to cook linguine. Barilla's cook in 10 minutes, De Cecco's n° 7 in 12, or 10 for al dente, Rummo's in 10 and Divella's in 8. ¹²⁴⁷ In Rummo's own recipes the pasta is drained a couple of minutes early and finished in the pan with the sauce and a little cooking water. ¹⁰⁹

Pesto alla genovese. The Accademia Italiana della Cucina's pesto for 6 uses 2 garlic cloves, 6 bunches of basil, 80 g of pine nuts, 80 g each of aged Sardinian pecorino and parmigiano, a glass of extra virgin olive oil and coarse salt, pounded in a marble mortar; it calls pesto a must for trenette. ¹¹ Basilico Genovese is an EU protected designation of origin. ¹⁵ Barilla serves its linguine with pesto, potatoes and green beans. ¹

Linguine alle vongole and seafood. Divella's recipe for 4 takes 400 g of linguine, 350 g of carpet-shell clams, a garlic clove, olive oil, 100 g of cherry tomatoes and parsley; the clams open in the pan with a ladle of cooking water, and the pasta is tossed in for a minute. ⁸ Rummo also suggests linguine allo scoglio, with lobster or with cuttlefish ink. ⁴⁹

Linguine vs spaghetti and tagliatelle. Rummo's spaghetti n° 3 are round, 1.9 mm across, and cook in 9 minutes, while its linguine are flat, 3.3 mm wide and 1.55 mm thick. ⁵⁴ Egg tagliatelle are wider still, 6 mm and only 0.8 mm thick, and cook in 3 minutes. ⁶ Linguine sit between them: flatter than spaghetti, but made of semolina, not egg dough. ³

Why it matters to you. Pick linguine for pesto, clams, mussels or a quick tomato and anchovy sauce; their flat section holds the sauce. ¹⁸¹⁰ Cook them for the time on the pack, usually 8 to 12 minutes, and finish them in the pan. ⁷²¹⁰ If you avoid gluten, look for a gluten-free version and check the label. ¹⁴¹⁶