Move over, Friday night takeaway. Pasta is now our go-to midweek pick-me-up, and when we reach for the pan, it’s Bolognese more than anything else. To celebrate Pasta Month, Northern Pasta Co., the British pasta brand made with regeneratively grown spelt, surveyed its community of pasta lovers to uncover the dishes, shapes and habits behind our favourite comfort food.
SPAG BOL IS STILL THE BOSS
The top eight go-to pasta dishes among Northern Pasta Co.’s pasta lovers:
- Bolognese (15%)
- Tomato sauce (13%)
- Pesto (12%)
- Arrabbiata or chilli (10%)
- Ragù (9%)
- Mac and cheese (7%)
- Pasta bake (6%)
- Carbonara (5%)
TOMATO IS KING
Almost half (46%) say their go-to dish is tomato-based, from a classic Bolognese to a slow-cooked ragù or a fiery arrabbiata. But some pasta lovers are already breaking the mould, with signature dishes including crab, lemon, fennel and chilli, lentil ragù, puttanesca, and garlic, anchovies and greens.
IS IT TIME TO BREAK UP WITH BOLOGNESE?
Breaking up would be too hard, but there’s an easier way to shake things up: change the shape, not the sauce. The right shape changes every mouthful, from how much sauce it carries to how it feels to bite into.
For those ready to branch out further, Northern Pasta Co.’s debut cookbook, Pasta for the People (published in April 2026), is full of recipes built around the shape, including some that make for brilliant spag bol alternatives:
- Pulled Lamb, Wild Garlic & Chilli Rigatoni
- Aubergine & Tomato Radiatori
- Rigatoni with Porcini & Chestnuts
IT’S ALL IN THE SHAPE
Pasta lovers don’t pick a shape for its looks. 63% choose their favourite for how well it holds the sauce, more than half (54%) for its texture or bite, and a quarter (26%) because it goes with their favourite dish.
That’s exactly what Northern Pasta Co.’s shapes are crafted for, and it shows. Among its pasta lovers, Radiatori is the favourite shape of all (16%), ahead of fusilli (14%) and rigatoni (13%). Spaghetti? The favourite of just 6%.
Imogen Royall, co-founder of Northern Pasta Co., comments: “We all love a good Bolognese, but there’s a whole world of pasta out there to explore. That’s exactly why I had such a great time writing Pasta for the People. I wanted to encourage people to try new flavour combinations, while keeping enough of the familiar that it still feels like the comforting midweek bowl they know and love. A small swap, a new ingredient or a different shape can completely transform a dish, and it’s a lovely way to bring a little more joy to the table without straying too far from your favourites.”
On shapes, Imogen adds: “Every shape we make is designed with the sauce in mind. Our pasta is extruded through bronze dies, which gives it more texture for the sauce to cling to. Our Radiatori takes that even further, with ruffled edges made to catch every last drop. It’s lovely to see that’s exactly why people choose their favourite shape, and that Radiatori comes out on top.”
PASTA BY NUMBERS
- The holy trinity: the most-used pasta ingredients are garlic (40%), tomatoes (40%) and hard cheese like Parmesan (26%).
- Hump day is pasta day: most (61%) don’t have a set pasta night, but of those who do, Wednesday wins. Sunday comes last.
- Not a treat, a habit: 87% eat pasta every week, and 45% eat it two to four times a week. Just 6% save it for a Friday night treat.
- Bad day? Put the pasta on: a quarter (25%) turn to pasta as comfort food on a bad day, and 37% call it their midweek pick-me-up.
- Dinner in a dash: four in five (80%) go from hob to plate in under 30 minutes.
- Say cheese: two thirds (68%) add a generous handful of cheese, and 6% admit they can’t see the pasta anymore.
- Naked ambition: more than four in ten (44%) eat pasta “naked”, with nothing more than butter, oil or a little cheese, and 17% sneak it straight from the pan.
