Spaghetti vs penne: America’s pasta preferences divided by state lines, study shows

From spaghetti lovers to penne passion, America’s pasta preference reveals a carb-loaded culture clash across state lines.

A study conducted by Inspired Taste aimed to uncover America’s wide range of pasta favorites – namely, each state’s favorite pasta shape. 

In doing so, it found unexpected regional preferences and nationwide outliers.

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Spaghetti is the national favorite, leading the country with 26% of the overall vote and winning in 20 states, particularly in Mississippi, where 55% of residents favored the classic noodle – the strongest single-state loyalty to any pasta type.

Penne trails spaghetti by a thin margin. (See the video at the top of this article for a pasta-making demonstration.)

Penne was second with 25% of the vote and was the preferred pasta in 17 states, particularly in the Pacific Northwest. 

It’s the top contender in states like Washington and Oregon.

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“What surprised me the most was just how close the race was between spaghetti and penne, which only had a 1% difference,” Joanne Gallagher, recipe creator and co-founder of Inspired Taste in Walla Walla, Washington, told Fox News Digital. 

“It shows how deeply people take their pasta choices.”

The rest of the findings are as twisted as fusilli.

Elbows are the outcast. 

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Even though elbows are the fourth-most popular pasta shape nationally, not a single state picked it as its favorite.

Arizona stands out as the biggest penne lover, with 50% of residents favoring it – higher than any other state’s penne preference.

Though not leading nationally, fettuccine dominates California at 33%. 

Hawaii and New Mexico are the only states to favor angel hair pasta, or capellini.

South Dakota, Alaska and Montana are the only states to choose rotini – a swirly, long pasta – as their top choice.

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Orzo and angel hair are tied for least-loved, with 18% of respondents calling them their least favorite.

“Everyone has a pasta shape that speaks to them, and that’s what makes pasta so fun to cook with,” Gallagher said.