October 8/Broomfield, Col./Business Wire -- Noodles & Company, serving classic noodle and pasta dishes from around the world, announced the results of its 2013 National Noodles Poll in celebration of National Noodle Day. The survey found that 59% of U.S. adults eat noodles or a pasta dish at least once a week, 68% of Americans who eat noodle or pasta dishes prefer spaghetti, and 79% picked Italian as their favorite noodle dish cuisine. The survey was conducted online in September by Harris Interactive among 3,014 U.S. adults, ages 18 and older.

America’s Favorite Noodle Preferences
Italian (79%) noodle dish cuisine is the most popular type of noodle dish among those Americans who eat noodle or pasta dishes, trumping American noodle cuisines (52%) like Macaroni & Cheese. Not surprisingly, spaghetti (68%) was the number one noodle choice, with less than half of those who eat noodle or pasta dishes choosing fettuccine (42%), penne (41%) or elbows (40%). Nearly four out of five (78%) noodle or pasta eaters said meat, such as meatballs, is among their favorite topping for any noodle dish, and 74% said marinara/tomato based sauce was at the top of their list.

Noodle Preferences Tied to Personality Traits
Among those who eat noodle or pasta dishes,
• 82% of people who classify themselves as fashionable prefer Italian cuisine
• 69% of people who classify themselves as funny like cheese on their pasta
• 39% of those who classify themselves as artistic list Ramen as their favorite type of noodles