The Ultimate Guide To Pasta Shapes

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Italians are serious about their cuisine, and perhaps no food is more quintessentially Italian than pasta. It's simple at first glance: just flour and water and often egg, mixed into dough and formed into various shapes. But you can take one look at the pasta aisle at any market and easily become overwhelmed by the seemingly endless variety. 

The whimsical array of pasta shapes is not just for show. Each type of pasta is best suited to a particular use due to its specific shape, size, and texture. Each nook and cranny, or lack thereof, is there for a reason — to best enhance the sauce, meat, or other ingredients that the pasta is meant to be paired with. Sturdier, thicker pastas can withstand longer cooking times, while delicate shapes should be treated gently.

There are a few major categories that most pasta shapes fall into: long thin strands, long flat noodles, tubes, stuffed pastas, tiny shapes known as pastina, and textured shapes made to capture sauce. From the simplest hand-made noodles to the most complex machine-extruded forms, here's a comprehensive guide to some of the more common pasta shapes you'll find in markets and on menus. 

Similar in appearance to couscous, acini di pepe (pronounced ah-CHEE-nee) are one of the smallest varieties of pasta around. In fact, the name translates to "peppercorns," which they definitely do resemble in size and shape. This little golden nuggets are often used in soups, as their diminutive size makes them easy to scoop up with a spoonful of liquid. This shape is most famous for its role in Italian Wedding Soup, and is perhaps most infamous as the pasta component in Frog Eye Salad, a sweet, fruity American dish that's a popular Thanksgiving side in some western states.

The thick, short rings of calamarata pasta are evocative of sliced calamari, and that's intentional — this pasta hails from the seafood-rich cuisines of southern coastal Italy, and is often paired with the squid that inspired its shape and name. You can also find a version of this pasta that's dyed black with squid or cuttlefish ink, making it an even more suitable partner for seafood-based sauces and ingredients. 

This shape isn't made for sleek, elegant sauces, but it's perfect for more rustic recipes with big flavors. That's because the wide holes in each piece of calamarata act as pockets for substantial ingredients, like fresh tomatoes and chunks of fish such as tuna, giving each bite a toothsome texture. And the thickness of the pasta gives it enough body and flavor to stand up to bolder elements like chile and garlic. 

Capellini is basically skinny spaghetti. The thinnest version of this shape is called capelli d'angelo, which translates to angel's hair. These impossibly slender strands of pasta are incredibly delicate and should be prepared with caution, as they only need the briefest cooking time to reach their perfect al dente stage. Light and fresh is the way to go when pairing flavors with these dainty noodles, as they can become easily overwhelmed with too much intense flavor or texture. A bright pesto sauce or a simple toss with olive oil and garlic would be perfectly suited to this shape. Try Randy's Lemon Capellini in the summer when fresh tomatoes and basil are in peak season.

Cavatappi translates to "corkscrews," and one look at these noodles shows that the name couldn't be more apt. The spiral shape and hollow center of this pasta makes it perfect for trapping sauce on the inside and chunkier ingredients on the outside. And because it's a fairly sturdy pasta, it can stand up to strong flavors and keeps its shape well even in the oven. This makes it a fantastic option for Baked Mac and Cheese. It's also a good choice for pasta salads, as its solid texture will hold strong even when tossed in dressing, so it won't get mushy like a more delicate pasta might.

Ditalini, which translates to "little thimbles," are small, short tubes of pasta. These cute little carbs are perfect in soups that call for pasta, adding body and bite to broth. They're also good mixed with simple sauces or simply tossed with a bit of butter and cheese for a comforting snack. Thanks to their size, they cook rapidly, so they're a great shape to have on hand for when you need a quick pasta fix. The recipe that this shape is best known for is Pasta e Fagioli, a hearty stewed dish featuring these tiny tubes and white beans within a broth made of stock and plum tomatoes.

Fettucine is part of the category of long, flat noodles. The name literally translates to "little ribbons," and that's just what they are — sleek and elegant, these noodles are about half the width of tagliatelle. Fettucine has enough heft to stand with rich, creamy sauces and other intensely flavorful ingredients, along with a delicacy that brings sophistication to every dish. To really let fettucine shine like the star it is, try this Pasta with Classic Alfredo Sauce, which uses pasta water, butter, and grated cheese to create a silky, noodle-coating sauce that's lighter than your typical cream-based version. Fettucine noodles love light yet luxurious additions like mushrooms, lobster, and shrimp, too.

Col buco translates to "with the hole," an appropriate for this pasta name considering that it's made from noodles that have a hollow center. Fusilli col buco is basically bucatini wrapped around a rod to give it a spiral shape, leading to extra flavor-trapping curls in each strand. These twirly noodles are a fantastic pairing with textured sauces and chunky ingredients, as their curves are great at locking in any bite-sized morsels. The hollow centers soak up any silky oils or sauces, too, giving you a double dose of flavor and plenty of versatility when it comes to toppings and accompaniments.

Before potatoes made their way to Europe in the 16th century, little dumplings known as gnocchi (pronounced NYOW-kee) were made from ingredients like flour, breadcrumbs, ground nuts, and cheese. Potato gnocchi are relative newcomers, first appearing in the 19th century, but now dominate the worldwide gnocchi scene. Riced potato is mixed with egg, flour, and salt, rolled into a rope, and then cut into small pillow shapes. They can be left smooth or ridged to capture more sauce. 

When made properly, they're both light and hearty, with a fluffy yet substantial texture. Like potatoes themselves, gnocchi are very versatile. They are as at home when simply tossed in butter and herbs as they are swimming in a rich, meaty ragú.

Linguine is part of the long noodle family. It lies somewhere between spaghetti and fettucine, but is flatter than the former and thinner than the latter. In Italian, linguine means "little tongues." Its rather delicate shape and texture match up well with light sauces and bright flavors. Seafood goes particularly well with this type of noodle, along with fresh herbs and zesty citrus. Linguine with Clams is a classic combo that makes use of this type of pasta. If you're making a richer, meatier sauce, you might want to opt for a heftier noodle like fettucine or tagliatelle, but linguine is the way to go with ingredients like shellfish, poultry, and white wine or oil-based sauces.

Mafaldine is a pasta shape with a truly unique story attached. While a version of these long, wide noodles with ridged edges likely existed before, in 1902 it was introduced to the world as a new shape called mafaldine, in honor of the newly-born Princess Mafalda of Savoy. It's also known as reginette, or "little queens," in honor of its namesake. While the Princess met a tragic end perishing in World War II, her story lives on and this pasta serves as a reminder of her history.

The ridges along the sides of mafaldine noodles are great at capturing sauce, especially when they're twirled around a fork, creating textured pockets full of flavor. It's a versatile shape that goes well with simple or complex flavors, and light or hearty ingredients.

Orechiette (pronounced oh-reh-KYET-teh) is a simple, rustic pasta shape. Unlike the majority of pastas in this guide, these are traditionally made without egg: only flour, water, and salt are needed. Meaning "little ears," these pasta pieces are made by taking a small piece of dough and flattening it with the tip of your thumb, creating a shallow cup shape. Originating from the region of Puglia, the heel of the boot, this pasta pairs well with southern Italian ingredients, and is often served with broccoli rabe. Other accompaniments that work beautifully are anchovies, garlic, and tomatoes. Sauce clings well to the edges and hollows of orechiette, making it ripe for sauce forward pasta dishes.

Of all the flat, long noodles, pappardelle is the widest, unless you count lasagna. The broad surface area of these noodles means they can hold their own with big, bold flavors, hefty ingredients, and rich sauces. Hailing from Tuscany, pappardelle is traditionally served with a meaty ragú made with local wild boar. If you can't get your hands on Tuscan boar meat, however, other meats such as veal, beef, and pork are good substitutes, like in this recipe.

Pappardelle's wide, simple shape makes it an easy noodle to make from scratch. If you're just starting to dip your toe in crafting homemade pasta, this is a great shape to consider.

A form of short-cut tube pasta, penne is a popular shape thanks to its versatility. The name translates to "quills," as the ends are cut at an angle leaving a point that somewhat resembles the tip of a pen. Penne has firm, thick walls around their hollow center and are often ridged on the outside. All of these characteristics make it a successful pasta to pair with hearty sauces and intense ingredients, like this Spicy Roman Penne All'Arrabbiata, which pairs these noodles with a tomato sauce bursting with chile and garlic flavor. Penne's firm structure also helps it hold up well in pasta salads.

Ravioli are pasta shapes that consist of sheets of dough that are layered and sealed around a filling. They come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, from a single jumbo raviolo that's the size of a plate, to little pasta pockets as small as the tip of your thumb. Ravioli can be filled with anything you can come up with in your culinary imagination, usually involving cheese and some combination of herbs, meat, and vegetables. The filling is the main event when it comes to this pasta shape, so typically a simple oil or butter sauce is all that's needed to enhance the flavors packed within the pasta.

Pasta that resemble little spoked wheels are called rotelle, which literally translate into "wheels." In English, this shape is sometimes referred to as wagon wheels or cartwheels. You may see a similar shape called ruote, which is just a smaller version of rotelle. The multiple nooks and crannies in each piece of rotelle pasta are great for capturing sauce and other ingredients so you get big flavor and texture in each bite. Meaty and creamy sauces match up well with this fun shape. It also bakes well, and holds up nicely in salads, making this not only a fun type of pasta, but also a versatile one. 

The word tagliare means "to cut," and that's how you make tagliatelle (pronounced tah-lee-ya-TELL-eh) noodles. To craft this decadent carb, a rolled out sheet of fresh pasta is sliced into long ribbons. Tagliatelle is wider than fettucine, but narrower than pappardelle — specifically, it must be between about seven millimeters wide when it's cut, and expand to eight millimeters wide after it's cooked to be considered authentic. It's a good match with hearty sauces, like meaty Bolognese, as well as rich and flavorful ingredients such as porcini mushrooms or fresh truffles. These noodles can be made by hand relatively easily (make sure to have a ruler ready), and they're exceptionally silky and luxurious when enjoyed fresh.

Tortiglioni (pronounced tohr-tee-LYO-nee) are part of the tube pasta family. They're very similar to rigatoni, with a twist — literally. The ridges along the exterior of the tubes twist around the noodles at an angle, giving this pasta shape visual appeal as well as sauce-capturing properties. Just like rigatoni, tortiglioni are well-suited for rich, hearty sauces, especially ones that include hunks of meat and vegetables that can get trapped inside the center of the pasta. A textured sauce like pesto works as well, with its bits of flavor adhering nicely to the noodles' angled ridges. Oozey, cheesy bakes are a good use for this sturdy pasta, too.