Barilla's spaghetti originated in Naples and were named by Antonio Viviani in the 1800s, as they looked like small pieces of string, from the Italian word "spago". Originally they measured 50cm in length however due to time and space related needs, they have been shortened until they reached their current length of 25cm.

A versatile pasta, it can be used in almost any kind of dish and with almost any thickness of sauce. However, it works best with oil- or tomato- based sauces, which are thinner and allow the sauce to cling to the pasta.