Barilla’s Spotify Playlists Are Helping People Cook Their Pasta Perfectly

The linguine playlist is my fave.

If marketers have learnt anything from young people over the last few years, it’s that Gen Z requires slightly less-than-traditional incentives to buy and try products.

Well, it looks like Barilla—a classic Italian pasta brand—has officially cracked the code.

Last week, the dried pasta makers quietly uploaded eight short playlists to their seemingly random Spotify account, and no one really noticed.

Eventually, however, it was shared all over the internet, ‘cos their playlists last for the exact cooking time of each of Barilla’s different pasta types.

*Warning: this post contains explicit language.*

This, of course, is an ingenious marketing strategy ‘cos we all love to take easy tasks and make them even easier. No longer do we carry the heavy burden of guessing how long to cook pasta (or setting a timer).

As you can expect, the news promptly broke social media and went viral on TikTok.

Barilla Pasta has a Spotify account with playlists that last for the exact amount of time it takes to cook each type of pasta so you don’t have to set a timer. from r/Damnthatsinteresting

@stephenrigatoni

i’m way too excited about it @barilla

♬ original sound - stephen

My bad y’all, had to “do my job” at work 🙄

Here is the pasta finished with some garlic, olive oil, and salt. This is honestly the best-timed pasta I’ve made in a while. Barilla’s playlist was jammin. 10/10 experience, would recommend pic.twitter.com/6QcD2pCMwE

— Jennifer St Sume 🇭🇹 (@stsumej) March 5, 2021

In case you need another excuse to make that nasty cherry tomato feta pasta, here you go.

Some of Barilla’s playlists include Mixtape Spaghetti, Boom Bap Fusilli and Pleasant Melancholy Penne.

I never thought I’d ever hear penne described as melancholy, but here we are.

Not only are the playlists timed perfectly, but they have a set genre or theme, so you’re not just listening to a completely random assortment of tunes.

Gonna draw a boiling hot bath and put on the Spotify Barilla playlist so I can understand things from the noodles perspective

— Part-time Bimbo (@specialgerbil19) March 6, 2021

Barilla’s Spotify account now has over 92,000 followers and some playlists have over 7,000 listeners.

Of course, some people have pointed out that it’s weird as heck that the news made it to Facebook before TikTok, Twitter and even Reddit, but we're just as enthused to get the goss.

why did I have to learn from facebook that barilla has a playlist for the exact length of time that you should boil each type of pasta pic.twitter.com/eE9k4UppRq

— Josey 💫 (@cup0fjos) March 5, 2021

While these playlists are obviously life-changing, I just can’t help but wonder how some people are still a bit lost on the cooking time for pasta. I time that with my heart.

ok so we all know barilla has playlists that finish, when your pasta is ready
problem is, i know that by heart now,,,,, I'm addicted to pasta,,,, i see pasta, i get happy,,,

— letti/leddie🐸 (@cowboyletti) March 6, 2021

Well, let's just say my dinner plans are sorted.

If you're looking to jam out while your pasta boils, you can find Barilla's Spotify playlists here.

Header Image: picture alliance via Getty Images