If you love pasta, then you know just how many pasta shapes there are. Even at the grocery store, it may be hard to choose. While some reach for the classics—Spaghetti, Penne, Pasta Shells—some pasta shapes are just too fun to pass up.
In Italy, the many shapes and styles of pasta were created with a dish or application in mind. Where thick sturdy noodles with wide hollows, like Rigatoni, were made to take on hearty sauces and meat ragùs, concave noodles like Orecchiette were made to scoop up small ingredients. Baked pasta dishes, like macaroni and cheese, are often made with Elbows or Shells for gathering gooey cheeses in their sturdy bends and hollows. Some pasta shapes, like the tiny pastina Orzo, have transcended their original use as a soup cut by appearing in everything from cold picnic pasta salads to cheesy side dishes. While every pasta has its place, that doesn’t mean you can’t get inventive with your creations.
Our Ultimate Guide to All Pasta Shapes includes a little history and some inspiration for best-loved pasta cuts—some you may already know and love, while some you may want to try for yourself!
Named after its tiny “peppercorn” shape, Acini di Pepe is small and spherical. It is best known as the star of the beloved classic, Italian Wedding Soup. This tiny pastina, or soup cut, is usually baby’s first pasta in Italy. Serve it up in brothy soups and cold pasta salads.
We love Acini di Pepe in Spicy Garlic Chicken with Acini di Pepe Pasta & Snow Peas.
Spaghetti Alla Chitarra (Spaghettini)
This squared spaghetti is named after the guitar-shaped kitchen utensil, the chitarra. A unique thick cut with an irresistible al dente bite, Spaghetti alla Chitarra is a versatile pasta that pairs up with any number of sauces—from simple tomato to heart meat sauces, like the traditional Abruzzese Lamb Ragù.
We love Spaghetti alla Chitarra in Anchovy & Caper Butter with Spaghetti alla Chitarra.
Shop now! Available in Semolina.
Originating in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, these long, flat ribbons of pasta are close in size to fettuccine. Their flat ribbon shape makes them perfect for capturing chunky, hearty sauces. In Italy, Tagliatelle are one of the most popular pasta shapes and are often served like the Italian-American “spaghetti and meatballs.”
We love Tagliatelle in Figgy Tagliatelle with Goat Cheese & Prosciutto.
Similar to rigatoni, but with a twist! These twisted tubes come to you from Naples, Italy, where they are served with rich, full-bodied sauces and ragùs. Tortiglioni is fun to say, but it is also a superb sauce-capturing shape ready for the chunkiest of sauces and even cheesy baked pasta recipes.
We love Tortiglioni in Tortiglioni with Ham & Peas.
Shop now! Available in Semolina.
One of Italy’s most beloved pasta shapes, these pasta rings are made up of a rich, but delicate egg pasta stuffed with cheese, meat or other savory fillings. Traditionally, Tortellini are served in broth-based soups, but are versatile enough for any number of sauces: from light tomato sauces and oil-based sauces to creamy picnic pasta dressings.
We love Tortellini in Pasta Fagioli Tortellini Soup.
Get even more yummy recipes from our 11 Recipes for Your Favorite Stuffed Pasta Rings Collection.
Shop now! Available in Spinach and Three-Cheese.
Thinner than its more famous sibling, this beloved long cut is best paired with lighter, thinner sauces that won’t overwhelm its delicate form. We love Spaghettini with a fresh-tomato and herb Pomodoro sauce and a light scampi butter sauce with shrimp.
We love Thin Spaghetti in Garlicky Spaghetti with Kale, Tomatoes and Pancetta.
Shop now! Available in Semolina.
As fun to say as it is to eat, this shell-elbow pasta hybrid features a curved tube shape with a ridged exterior. This unique pasta cut is ready to scoop up sauces and small ingredients. Try it in cheesy baked pasta dishes with gourmet upgrades like artichokes, peas, pancetta and mushrooms.
We love Shellbows in Roasted Pepper Bruschetta & Tomato Sauce with Italian Sausage.
Shop now! Available in Semolina.
This classic Southern Italian pasta consists of smooth, straight-cut tubes perfect for capturing sauces and small ingredients. Ziti is famous for its role in traditional Napolitano meat sauces and cheesy baked pasta dishes featuring ricotta and tomato.
We love Ziti in Cheesy Baked Ziti.
Shop now! Available in Semolina.
Capellini (also known as angel hair)
Many have nicknamed this pasta “angel hair” for its long, thin shape. Capellini is a long-cut pasta that shines with sauces and ingredients that are light in texture and flavor: fresh tomato, olive oil, lemon, basil, scallops and shrimp—to name a few. We love adding Capellini to broth-based soups and lighter cream sauces.
We love Capellini in Capellini with Roasted Garlic & Spinach.
Hailing from Southern Italy, this fun springy pasta can be described as a twisted “corkscrew” with hole. Cavatappi is a sturdy cut and ready to take on hearty sauces and chunky ingredients. This fun, versatile shape goes great with cheesy baked pasta dishes with spicy sausage and peppers, as well as cold pasta salads with fresh vegetables.
We love Cavatappi in Cavatappi with Peas, Pancetta & Goat Cheese.
Shop now! Available in Organic, Whole Wheat and Semolina.
Known as a soup cut, or pastina, Ditalini is a tiny tube with ridges. This tiny tube-shaped pasta is the star of both broth-based soups and hearty soups, like Minestrone or Tuscan White Bean Soup, but don’t be afraid to try it in a summery picnic pasta salad.
We love in Macaroni Salad with Creamy Parm & Pesto.
Shop now! Available in Semolina.
As the name implies, elbows are small, c-shaped tubes perfect for capturing sauces and small ingredients. Elbows are famous for starring in cheesy baked pasta dishes, like macaroni and cheese, but they are also a great short pasta for simple tomato and vegetable sauces and creamy cold pasta salads.
We love it in Chicken, Sausage and Peppers Macaroni.
Shop now! Available in Whole Wheat and Semolina.
How to Cut Spaghetti Squash (without going to the hospital!)
FAQ
What is cut spaghetti called?
What are the different types of spaghetti?
What is twisted spaghetti called?
What is the name of the chunky spaghetti?
What is spaghetti pasta?
Spaghetti is the type of pasta that was created in Italy, and popularized in the entire world by the middle of 20th century. This long, thin, cylindrical pasta represents only one of the many pasta products that are today consumed on all four corners of the Earth. Here are some of the most popular spaghetti variations:
What does spaghetti mean in Italian?
Spaghetti translates to “little strings” in Italian. It’s perhaps the most famous and beloved pasta worldwide. Spaghetti. There are several variations of spaghetti, including spaghetti alla chitarra, spaghettini, and spaghettoni.
What type of pasta has a hole in the center?
Bucatini – Very thick spaghetti-looking pasta that has a hole in its center. Capellini – Very thin variation of spaghetti, often regarded as the thinnest type of pasta. Fusilli bucati – Shaped in the form of the coiled tubes, with hollow section in their middle. Fettuccine – Pasta type that was used since Roman times.