1.1 pounds - Venecia, Italy
Linguini, which means "little tongues" in Italian, is a type of pasta that originates from the Liguria region in northern Italy, particularly associated with the coastal city of Genoa.
The shape itself is a variation of traditional pasta shapes, resembling flattened spaghetti, but wider and often thicker. The word "linguini" comes from the Latin lingua, meaning "tongue," likely referring to the shape's long, narrow, and flat appearance.
Some other pastas and their meanings include spaghetti ("little strings"), fettuccine ("little ribbons"), penne ("little quills"), orzo ("barley"), farfalle ("butterflies"), vermicelli ("little worms"), capellini ("little hairs"), fusilli ("little spindles"), and radiatori ("little radiatorsâ€).
Pasta is believed to have been introduced to Italy through trade routes from the Arab world in the Middle Ages.
The early forms of pasta were made from durum wheat, which grew well in the southern Mediterranean, including Sicily, and were initially dried for preservation. Over time, Italians began to shape pasta into various forms to better hold onto sauces and to accommodate regional culinary dishes.
Linguini became popular in the Liguria region, where the sea's bounty and olive oil play an important role in the local cuisine.
It is often paired with lighter seafood sauces, like the famous "linguini alle vongole" (linguini with clams), or pesto, another dish famous in Genoa. The thin but flat shape allows it to hold delicate sauces well, making it ideal for these regional dishes.
It's similar to fettuccine and trenette, but has an elliptical cross-section.
