Fettuccine is an Italian word that literally means "little ribbons”, and in the world of pasta, it refers to a type of pasta popular in Roman and Tuscan cuisine. Basically, Fettuccine is flat thick pasta made of egg and flour, and is often eaten with beef or an Italian sauce made with minced meat, onions and tomato puree. Some people eliminate pasta from their diet because they are trying to reduce their gluten intake. Unless a person has a gluten sensitivity or celiac disease, there is no evidence that a gluten-free diet offers any health benefits. In fact, studies show that many types of gluten-free pasta and other gluten-free products can be more expensive and less healthful than their non-gluten-free equivalents.