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Everyone has a favorite way to make pasta, which usually means everyone has a favorite type of pasta to make.
Pasta comes in a variety of shapes and sizes that are best suited to particular sauces or extra ingredients added to a dish. Rotini, for example, has tight spirals that capture oil-based sauces and dressings, which make it perfect for a good pasta salad, while other noodles are specifically made for the layers and filling that make the perfect lasagna.
But which pasta is best? That might depend on the state you live in, with some favoring one above all the others. So which ones are pasta perfect for each state? See if any of these are your favorites, according to a survey by Inspired Taste.
Spaghetti
Spaghetti is favored by the most states, and it's hard not to see why. These thin, long noodles are a versatile pantry staple, making them ideal for classics like spaghetti and meatballs, or simply tossed with marinara or bolognese sauce. The pasta, which was chosen as the most popular in 20 states, dominates in states east of the Mississippi River, including Alabama in the South, Kentucky and West Virginia in the Appalachian region, Rust Belt states like Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, and Northeast states like New York and Vermont.
Penne
New England loves penne pasta, which has ridges for extra sauce and can be used for basic dishes to more elaborate casserole bakes. States like Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island are fans of penne as well as nearby New Jersey. The Northwest also prefers this pasta, with Idaho, Washington, and Oregon keeping it stocked in their pantries. It’s great for baked dishes or penne alla vodka, which is the favorite pasta recipe in states like New Jersey and Rhode Island, according to Inspired Taste.
Fettuccine
Flat noodles are fine for five states that prefer fettuccine over all other pastas: California, Wyoming, Kansas, Louisiana, and Connecticut. Inspired Taste found that alfredo was the favorite pasta dish in a majority of states, and fettuccine is the perfect pasta for the rich sauce made with butter, cream, and Parmesan cheese.
Rotini
Pasta salads are better with rotini pasta, which may be one of the reasons it was chosen as the best pasta type in South Dakota, Missouri, and Alaska. The great thing about pasta salads is you can add plenty of different mix-ins depending on what you enjoy. A Greek pasta salad can be packed with feta cheese and olives, or you can try a charcuterie board-inspired pasta salad with bits of mozzarella, salami, olives, artichoke hearts, and more.
The Best of the Rest
Not every pasta is as popular as spaghetti. There are only two states, for example, that prefer angel hair pasta over all others: New Mexico and Hawaii. Nebraska is the only state that prefers linguine, and Illinois is the only state grabbing rigatoni for pasta dishes. Some pastas were liked by no state, like orzo and elbow macaroni, which may be a surprise to macaroni and cheese fans.
Americans Have Their Favorites
More broadly, Americans do favor spaghetti over all others, but some of those other favorites may be a surprise.
The Inspired Taste survey found that 26% of all Americans chose spaghetti as their favorite pasta, followed closely by penne with 25%. Fettuccine earned the best of the best ranking from 15% of Americans.
Elbow macaroni and bowtie pasta each garnered 14% of the vote from Americans, but it wasn't enough to bump them up to be the favorite pasta of any one particular state.