Snapping spaghetti in half is a surefire way to break an Italian’s heart. In Italy, the pasta is served whole because it is meant to be twirled around a fork to gather sauce.

If spaghetti is too short to twirl, the sauce will weigh it down. Theories as to why breaking spaghetti is taboo include that it's bad etiquette or can bring bad luck.

The one time an Italian cook might break spaghetti is to use it in a soup, such as minestrone, or in stews like pasta e fagioli. Still, the general rule is to use smaller pasta.