Spaghetti might be the poster child of pasta night, but it’s not the dish Americans are searching for this fall. According to new data from Italian Street Kitchen, baked ziti has emerged as the most Googled pasta recipe in the United States, with over 201,000 monthly searches leading up to World Pasta Day on October 25.
Baked ziti is the pasta beating spaghetti, alfredo and meatballs on google right now
(freemixer via Getty Images)
The study analyzed trending pasta-related search terms from September to October. Baked ziti topped the list by a wide margin, beating out fettuccine Alfredo, spaghetti and meatballs, and even trendy favorites like cacio e pepe. The rankings also revealed a broader shift in what people are hungry for right now: comfort, ease, and a sense of familiarity.
The top 10 pasta recipes Americans are searching for right now
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Baked ziti (201,000 searches)
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Fettuccine Alfredo (135,000)
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Penne alla vodka (74,000)
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Spaghetti with meatballs (40,500)
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American chop suey (27,100)
Ziti may be leading the charge, but the rest of the list shows just how wide-ranging American pasta preferences have become. Cacio e pepe, a Roman cheese-and-pepper dish that once flew under the radar, is now a top contender. German spätzle and Jewish noodle kugel both made the cut, as did macaroni salad and American chop suey—two dishes more associated with church potlucks and weeknight casseroles than Italian kitchens.
Why baked ziti hits different this year
It’s not hard to understand the appeal. Baked ziti is affordable, freezer-friendly, and feeds a crowd. With inflation still top of mind for many households, it makes sense that a dish like this—one that stretches ingredients and satisfies with minimal effort—is seeing a surge in interest.
The same goes for macaroni salad and American chop suey. These are recipes that live in family recipe boxes and regional cookbooks, not necessarily in restaurants. The spike in search volume suggests people are circling back to what they already know, or what they grew up eating.
At the same time, the rise of dishes like cacio e pepe and penne alla vodka points to a renewed interest in restaurant-style pastas that are relatively easy to make at home. These are meals that feel elevated but don’t require complicated ingredients or hours of cooking.
What pasta didn’t make the cut?
What didn’t appear in the top 10 is just as telling. Lasagna didn’t make the list, ravioli didn’t chart and spaghetti barely made it in at number eight. Despite their popularity in American-Italian dining, these dishes don’t seem to reflect what home cooks are reaching for at the moment.
This year’s data paints a clear picture. People are looking for homemade pasta dishes that are simple to prepare, comforting to eat, and flexible enough make their own. Some are nostalgic, while others are weeknight-friendly and almost all of them are designed to share.
World Pasta Day might be a food holiday, but the search data suggests something deeper: in a season that’s all about gathering, feeding others, and making things stretch, pasta remains the kind of meal that does all of that with out having to shell out a lot of money in return.
