Linguine is the long, flat pasta that is wider than spaghetti and often served with seafood in Italy.
The name comes from the Italian linguine, meaning “little tongues,” from lingua, or “tongue.” Linguine is associated especially with Genoa and the Ligurian region of northwestern Italy. Its cross-section is flattened or slightly elliptical rather than round, and it is usually about 4 millimeters wide—narrower than fettuccine.
The shape gives sauces more surface to cling to, which helps explain its traditional use with pesto, tomato sauces, fish, shellfish, and other coastal preparations. In Liguria, linguine with basil pesto, green beans, and potatoes is a classic combination. Seafood linguine is common well beyond Italy, but the pasta shape itself is not limited to seafood.
Linguine is sometimes misspelled or anglicized as “linguini.” A thinner relative is called linguettine. Rigatoni and penne are tubular short pastas, while fusilli is spiral-shaped, so none matches the clue.