28 Different Types of Pasta Shapes

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Plus, best recipes to use them in and what sauces to pair with them
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Fusilli, farfalle, penne, linguine…with so many different pasta shapes out there, it can be tough to keep them all straight. Luckily, we’ve compiled a thorough list of the most popular types of pasta, from angel hair to ziti, along with their cook times and dishes they taste great in. Whether you’re hoping to pick the perfect pasta shape for a special recipe or just hoping to build your knowledge, this is the article for you!

Different Types of Pasta Noodles

1

Angel Hair

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  1. Also called “capellini,” which means “little hairs,” these delicate strands work best with lighter sauces, as opposed to heavy or chunky ones. They also cook super quickly, so they’re an awesome choice if you’re pressed for time! [1]
    • Cook time: 3-5 minutes.
    • Best sauces: Light tomato sauces, light cream sauces, olive oil, butter.
    • Popular dishes: Angel Hair Pomodoro, Angel Hair Primavera, Capellini alla Checca.
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2

Bucatini

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  1. They look just like spaghetti noodles at first glance, but when you look a bit closer, you see that they’re actually super long tubes, while spaghetti is solid. Since bucatini is so similar to spaghetti, it tastes great in a lot of the same dishes. [2]
    • Cook time: 8-10 minutes.
    • Best sauces: Cream and butter sauces, lighter tomato sauces.
    • Popular dishes: Bucatini Carbonara, Cacio e Pepe.
3

Cavatappi

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  1. This thick, substantial noodle is also known as “double macaroni,” and it goes very well with heavier sauces, and it tastes great in a dish with lots of chunky ingredients, like meat or veggies.It also holds up very well in baked pasta dishes. [3]
    • Cook time: 9-11 minutes.
    • Best sauces: Chunky tomato sauces, thick cream sauces.
    • Popular dishes: Baked pasta dishes, veggie dishes, seafood or meat dishes.
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4

Conchiglie

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  1. This is fitting, considering that “conchiglie” translates to “shells” or “seashells” in English. Shell-shaped pasta noodles form perfect little cups for sauce to fill, so they work very well with flavorful tomato or cream sauces. They’re even a common choice for mac and cheese recipes, as well! [4]
    • Cook time: 10-12 minutes.
    • Best sauces: Tomato sauces, cream sauces, cheese sauces.
    • Popular dishes: Mac & cheese, baked pasta dishes.
5

Ditalini

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  1. The name “ditalini” translates to “little thimbles,” which is fitting for this cute, tiny pasta shape. Due to their small size and the fact that they cook pretty quickly, ditalini works perfectly in soups and stews. [5]
    • Cook time: 8-10 minutes.
    • Best sauces: Very light tomato sauces, butter sauces, olive oil and parmesan.
    • Popular dishes: Minestrone Soup, other tomato-based soups and stews.
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6

Egg Noodles

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  1. This gives them a bit stickier and more flexible than regular noodles, and they also tend to have a richer flavor. Egg noodles are most often used in stews, soups, and casseroles.
    • Cook time: 7-10 minutes.
    • Best sauces: Creamy sauces.
    • Popular dishes: Beef Stroganoff, other hearty soups, stews, casseroles or crock-pot dishes.
7

Farfalle

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  1. They’re pinched in the middle, and they have ridges along their edges. Although farfalle is commonly referred to as “bow tie pasta,” the name actually means “butterflies” in Italian, because the flared edges resemble wings. [6] This versatile, easy-to-eat pasta shape works well in all kinds of dishes, and it’s also very kid-friendly.
    • Cook time: 10-12 minutes.
    • Best sauces: Butter and parmesan, vodka sauce, pesto, tomato sauce.
    • Popular dishes: Vegetable and/or seafood pastas, pasta salad.
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8

Fettuccini

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  1. They’re often described as having a ribbon-like shape, which makes sense, considering that the name “fettuccini” translates to “little ribbons” in Italian. The wider shape allows for more surface area, so they’re a great choice for heavier, more substantial sauces. [7]
9

Fusilli

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  1. They’re extremely similar to rotini noodles, but they form slightly looser spirals. Like rotini, this pasta shape has lots of places to stick to, so they’re often used in dishes featuring very flavorful sauces. [8]
    • Cook time : 8-10 minutes.
    • Best sauces: Tomato sauces, meat sauces, pesto sauces.
    • Popular dishes: Baked pasta dishes, seafood dishes.
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10

Gemelli

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  1. The name translates to “twins,” which is a reference to this unique shape. These twisty noodles are often found in pasta salads and baked casseroles, and they also taste great tossed with simple, light sauces. [9]
    • Cook time: 12-13 minutes.
    • Best sauces: Oil-based sauces, light tomato sauces, light cream sauces.
    • Popular dishes : Pasta salad, baked pasta dishes.
11

Gnocchi

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  1. This gives them a soft, pillowy texture, which is pretty different from regular pasta. [10] Gnocchi tastes delicious with pretty much any sauce, but lighter options work especially well because they allow the unique flavor of these dumplings to shine through [11] .
    • Cook time: 2-4 minutes.
    • Best sauces: Light sauces.
    • Popular dishes: Dishes with veggies and cream-based sauces, dishes with light tomato sauces.
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12

Lasagna Noodles

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  1. They’re almost always used to make the popular baked pasta dish lasagna , which involves stacking sauce, cheesy filling, and meat between layers of the flat noodles. Although lasagna is most often served with tomato-based sauce, there are also cream-based versions (sometimes called “white lasagna”). [12]
    • Cook time : 7-9 minutes (then baked).
    • Best sauces: Tomato or cream sauces.
    • Popular dishes: Lasagna, White Lasagna.
13

Linguine

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  1. They’re similar to fettuccine noodles, but not quite as wide (fettucine is usually about ¼ inch wide, while linguine is about â…› inch wide). Linguine is very versatile and tastes great with a wide range of sauces and ingredients, especially seafood. [13]
    • Cook time: 10-12 minutes.
    • Best sauces: Tomato sauces, cream sauces, pesto, olive oil.
    • Popular dishes: Linguine alle Vongole, Linguine alla Puttanesca
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14

Macaroni

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  1. The most famous dish featuring this pasta shape is, of course, mac and cheese, but these noodles are actually surprisingly versatile. They taste great in pasta salads, soups, and stews, and they also hold up very well in baked pasta dishes. [14]
    • Cook time : 6-8 minutes.
    • Best sauces: Cheese sauce, butter and parmesan
    • Popular dishes: Mac & cheese , pasta salad, macaroni salad.
15

Manicotti

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  1. They resemble penne noodles, but they’re much longer and have a wider diameter. Each manicotti noodle is about four inches long and one inch wide, and they’re made to be stuffed with tasty fillings and used in hearty baked dishes. [15]
    • Cook time: 10-12 minutes.
    • Best sauces: Tomato sauces with cheesy filling mixtures.
    • Popular dishes: Baked pasta dishes.
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16

Orecchiette

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  1. Their name translates to “little ears,” which is a reference to their slightly rounded, concave shape. These small noodles are versatile and fun to eat, and they taste super yummy with meat or cream sauces.
    • Cook time: 10-12 minutes.
    • Best sauces: Meat sauces, cream sauces, lighter tomato sauces.
    • Popular dishes: Often served with sausage and/or veggies.
17

Orzo

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  1. In fact, orzo is so small that it’s technically a “pastina,” which means “little pasta,” rather than a regular pasta. Orzo usually works best in soups or pasta salads, but it also tastes very yummy with light tomato sauces, olive oil, or butter. [16]
    • Cook time: 9-11 minutes.
    • Best sauces: Light tomato sauce, olive oil or butter with parmesan.
    • Popular dishes: Soups, stews, pasta salads.
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18

Pappardelle

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  1. They’re similar to fettuccini and tagliatelle, but they’re the widest option of the bunch. With their flat shape, they have a lot of surface area for sauce to sit on, so they’re often served with flavorful and meaty tomato sauces. The name “pappardelle” also means “gulp down” in Italian, which may be a reference to how quickly people scarf down delicious dishes that feature this pasta! [17]
    • Cook time: 7-10 minutes.
    • Best sauces: Meaty tomato sauces.
    • Popular dishes: Pappardelle Bolognese.
19

Penne

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  1. They’re cut at a diagonal angle, so their ends are a little pointy. The name “penne” means “quill” in Italian, which is a reference to the pointy ends that look a little bit like the tips of quill pens. [18] The empty spaces in the middle of each tube hold sauces very well, so penne pasta is a great choice for meatier, chunkier, or more substantial sauces.
    • Cook time: 10-12 minutes.
    • Best sauces: Chunky tomato sauces, meat sauces, vegetable sauces, heavy cream sauces.
    • Popular dishes: Penne Arrabbiata, Penne alla Vodka, Penne Alfredo .
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20

Radiatori

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  1. These noodles were named for their unique shape, which resembles a car radiator. In fact, legend has it that radiatori was inspired by the radiator of a specific Italian car: the Bugatti. Radiatori have tons of nooks and crannies for sauce to cling to, so these noodles taste great with chunky veggie or meat sauces.
    • Cook time: 10-11 minutes.
    • Best sauces: Chunky sauces.
    • Popular dishes: Pasta dishes with chunky veggies or meat.
21

Ravioli

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  1. Usually square-shaped, these delicious noodles are often stuffed with flavorful mixtures of cheese, veggies, and/or meat. Depending on the ingredients of their filling, ravioli is often paired with tomato, cream, or butter sauce. [19]
    • Cook time: 3-4 minutes.
    • Best sauces : Tomato-based, cream-based, or butter sauces.
    • Popular dishes: Lobster Ravioli, Butternut Squash Ravioli
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22

Rigatoni

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  1. The name “Rigatoni” means “large grooves” or “large stripes,” which is a reference to these ridges. The open center of rigatoni noodles holds sauces very well, just like penne noodles, so they’re ideal for heavier, chunkier sauces. [20]
    • Cook time: 11-13 minutes.
    • Best sauces: Chunky meat or veggie, heavy cream sauces, thick cheese sauces.
    • Popular dishes: Rigatoni Bolognese, baked pasta dishes .
23

Rotelle

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  1. This fun pasta shape is a kid favorite, and it goes super well with simple sauces like marinara, or even just butter and parmesan. You can even substitute rotelle noodles for your favorite mac and cheese recipe! [21]
    • Cook time: 9-11 minutes.
    • Best sauces: Tomato sauces, light cream sauces, cheese sauces.
    • Popular dishes: Mac & cheese.
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24

Rotini

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  1. These twisty, spiral-shaped noodles have tons of little nooks and crannies for flavorful sauces to cling to, so they’re an awesome choice if you want your sauce to be the star of the show. They’re very similar to fusilli noodles, which are also corkscrew-shaped, but their spirals are a little bit tighter. [22]
    • Cook time: 8-10 minutes.
    • Best sauces: Tomato sauces, meat sauces, pesto sauces.
    • Popular dishes: Baked pasta dishes, seafood dishes.
25

Spaghetti

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  1. Of course, spaghetti tastes great with marinara and meatballs, but this pasta shape is actually super versatile. It tastes great with flavorful sauces like pesto, and it’s also amazing simply tossed with olive oil and garlic. [23]
    • Cook time : 9-11 minutes.
    • Best sauces: Marinara and other tomato sauces, pesto, olive oil.
    • Popular dishes: Spaghetti and Meatballs , Spaghetti Carbonara, Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, Cacio e Pepe.
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26

Tagliatelle

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  1. They’re very similar to fettuccine noodles, but they’re a little bit wider, and they’re always made using eggs (fettuccini can be made with or without eggs). [24] Tagliatelle is usually served with meat sauces, but it tastes delicious with creamier or lighter sauces, too.
    • Cook time : 8-10 minutes.
    • Best sauces: Meaty tomato sauces.
    • Popular dishes: Tagliatelle Bolognese.
27

Tortellini

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  1. Like ravioli, these pockets are often filled with cheesy and/or meaty mixtures, then tossed with a sauce that complements the filling. Since they’re smaller and more bite-sized than ravioli, they also work very well in soups. [25]
    • Cook time : 3-5 minutes.
    • Best sauces: Tomato-based, cream-based, or butter sauces.
    • Popular dishes: Tortellini soup.
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28

Ziti

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  1. They’re usually around 2 inches long, with a diameter that’s a bit wider than a drinking straw. Although they’re similar to penne noodles, the main difference is that they have regular tubular ends, while penne has pointed ends. “Ziti” means “bride” or “bridegroom” in Italian, which is a reference to this noodle’s popularity in baked pasta dishes that are typically served at Sicilian weddings. [26]
    • Cook time: 10-12 minutes.
    • Best sauces: Lighter tomato sauces, lighter cream sauces.
    • Popular dishes: Baked Ziti.

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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/popular-ingredients/types-of-pasta-noodles
      2. ↑ https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/the-ultimate-guide-to-pasta-shapes/
      3. ↑ https://pizzatoday.com/topics/menu-development/pasta-tively-perfect-a-guide-to-commonly-used-types-of-pasta/
      4. ↑ https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/popular-ingredients/types-of-pasta-noodles
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      2. ↑ https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/the-ultimate-guide-to-pasta-shapes/
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      6. ↑ https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/the-ultimate-guide-to-pasta-shapes/
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