What Is the Difference Between Linguine and Fettuccine?
| Characteristics | Linguine | Fettuccine |
| Origin | Genoa, Italy | Rome or Tuscany, Italy |
| Appearance | Long and elliptical with narrower strands | Long with flatter and wider strands |
| Ingredients | Flour and water | Eggs and flour |
| Serving Style | Best served with thin sauces like passata with seafood sides | Best served with thick sauces like alfredo and meat |
Pasta from the Italian province of Genoa is called linguine. Because linguine looks long and somewhat flat, the Italian word for it means “little tongues.” As you may have noticed, it looks a lot like fettuccine, which is why people frequently mix the two up. It shares similarities with linguettine, a slimmer form of linguine, in addition to its well-known relative.
Let’s talk about fettuccine. Fettuccine’s origin is much harder to pinpoint than linguine. However, most would argue that it came from Tuscan or Roman food. Just like linguine, this pasta is named after its appearance. Because of their broad, flat form resembling ribbons, the name means “little ribbons” in Italian.
At first glance, we admit they look quite similar. We’ll help you explore their differences below by breaking down their characteristics and suggesting the best uses for each in real Italian recipes, but trust us when we say that they’re very different!
Fettuccine is Wider Than Linguine
Their appearance is one of the indicators you need to look for in order to distinguish them. The trick is to look closely to see how they appear and which one is flatter and wider.
Compared to fettuccine, linguine is noticeably narrower and has a slightly elliptical or rounder shape. However, linguine noodles are flatter than other pasta varieties like angel hair, spaghetti, and bucatini.
Conversely, fettuccine is flatter-looking and wider than linguine. Its heavier bite makes it more substantial and satisfying than linguine.
They’re Made With Different Ingredients
When comparing the ingredients of linguine and fettuccine, two varieties of Italian pasta that appear to be made with the same ingredients but different shapes, how do they compare? Well, this is not true.
All you need to make linguine noodles is a basic flour and water mixture. Of course, there are other variations! You can use potato flour, almond flour, white flour, or whole wheat flour in place of flour. Conversely, fettuccine noodles are made of flour and eggs.
Compared to fettuccine, which is much denser, linguine is easier to knead at home because it is made with just two basic ingredients. It is more difficult to knead if you are not an expert because of its density.
