Ahhh, pasta: arguably one of Italy’s best gifts to the world. Did you know there are about 350 types of pasta? These days more and more unique types of pasta are popping up at mainstream grocery stores. If you love to cook (like we do), you’ll want to experiment with all the noodles. But what are the right ways to prepare them? Which pastas work with chunky sauces, vs are thrown into soups or pasta salads? Here are 18 of our favorite types of pasta, from everyday to unique. There’s the old favorites like spaghetti and lasagna, but lots of new ideas! There’s orecchiette, a tiny ear shaped pasta, or mafaldine, a long ribbon like pasta with curly edges. Here’s how to make each one of them into delicious recipes.
18 types of pasta, and how to use them!
More Italian recipes
Into Italian food? Here are some of our other favorite recipes:
What is it? Unarguably the most popular pasta noodle shape! These long strands of pasta are perfect with sauces like tomato and pesto, or even just cheese and pepper (cacio e pepe).
Spaghetti recipesHomemade Pasta Marinara (pictured) Mussels Marinara Shrimp MarinaraCreamy Pasta Marinara (or Creamy Vegan Pasta Marinara)Pesto Pasta with Tomatoes (or Vegan Pesto Pasta)Cacio e Pepe
What is it? A long strand pasta with a hole in the center: it’s like a tubular form of spaghetti! The tube gives it a chewy texture, making it taste like an upscale version of spaghetti.
Bucatini recipesCacio e Pepe (pictured)Pasta PuttanescaPesto Pasta with TomatoesAny of the spaghetti recipes above
What is it? Short tubular pasta, cut at an angle. The ridges on the outside help the sauce to stick! Penne is highly versatile and works with just about anything: red sauce, pesto, cheese sauce, and even in pasta salads.
Penne recipes Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta (pictured) Creamy Instant Pot Pasta Italian Vegan Pasta SaladPumpkin Pasta Sauce with Penne Roasted Eggplant PastaButternut Squash Pasta
What is it? Short corkscrew pasta. It works with thick creamy or meat sauces, and is great for baked pasta as well. Use it in place of macaroni in any mac and cheese recipe!
Cavatappi recipes Creamy Cavatappi Pasta (pictured)Butternut Squash Pasta Pesto Mac and Cheese Best Gouda Mac and Cheese White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
What is it? Pasta made of long thin sheets, used to layer that world-famous dish. You can buy them fresh, dry, or no-boil. No boil requires no cooking before baking. Creative uses: roll them up to make lasagna rolls, or make a free-form lasagna soup.
Lasagna recipes Favorite Vegan Lasagna (pictured)Spicy Kale Lasagna Mexican Lasagna
What is it? Shell shaped pasta noodles. Shells are great with sauces that stick well, like cheese sauces or creamy tomato sauces like a vodka sauce.
Conchiglie recipes Gouda Mac and Cheese (pictured)Pesto Mac and Cheese Greek Yogurt Mac and Cheese Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta Best Vodka Sauce Vegan Alfredo Sauce
What is it? A small cup-shaped pasta. In Italian, orecchiette means “small ears.” Orecchiette is great with chunky vegetables, and works as another stand-in in mac and cheese.
Orecchiette recipesOrecchiette Pasta with TomatoesOrecchiette Pasta with Lemon AsparagusCreamy Almond Milk Pasta with HerbsPesto Mac and CheeseWhite Cheddar Mac and CheeseGreek Yogurt Mac and Cheese
What is it? Jumbo sized shells! These are fantastic stuffed with meat or vegetarian fillings.
Stuffed shells recipes Pumpkin Stuffed Shells (pictured) Skillet Stuffed Shells
What is it? A tube shaped pasta; cylinder shaped with a larger hole than penne. Works with tomato sauces and perfect for baked pasta. It isn’t normally seen in salads or soups.
Rigatoni recipes Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce (pictured)Butternut Squash PastaRoasted Eggplant Pasta
What is it? A type of short cut pasta; the name comes from the Italian word for “twins”. While it looks like two twin pasta tubes, it’s really an s-shaped strand twisted into a spiral. It works with any preparation that penne does: tomato sauces, mac and cheese, and pasta salad. Even works in soup!
Similar shapes: Cascarece, Strozzapreti
Gemelli recipesGemelli Pasta with Tomatoes (pictured)Roasted Eggplant PastaMinestrone SoupBest Vodka Sauce
What is it? A filled ring-shaped pasta, with meat or vegetarian fillings. You can find tortellini fresh, frozen, or dried at your local grocery. Tortellini are lovely in a cream sauce, or floating in a tangy soup broth.
Tortellini recipes Vegetarian Tortellini Soup (pictured)Tortellini with Vegan Alfredo Sauce
What is it? A long, flat pasta shape. This pasta works with the same preparations as spaghetti: creamy sauces (like the famous alfredo), tomato sauces, or with vegetables.
Fettuccine recipes Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo (pictured) Tomato Basil PastaGrilled Vegetable Pasta
What is it? A long pasta shape similar to fettuccine, but it’s slightly thinner and elliptical shaped instead of flat. This pasta works well with vegetables and creamy sauces, just like fettuccine.
Tortellini recipes Tomato Basil Pasta (pictured) Vegetable Linguine with Tomatoes & Zucchini Grilled Vegetable Pasta
What is it? Fusilli is corkscrew shaped pasta. It’s often confused with rotini, and can be used similarly. Fusilli looks like a small spring, and rotini looks like a twist. Fusilli works anywhere that penne would: with thick sauces, chunky veggies, or in soups or pasta salads.
Also known as: Spirali
Fusilli recipes Minestrone Soup (or Instant Pot Minestrone)Italian Vegan Pasta Salad Pumpkin Pasta Sauce with Penne Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta Butternut Squash Pasta
What is it? A short pasta shape formed like a butterfly (farfalle is the Italian word for butterfly). Farfalle works in most places that penne would: with vegetables, in creamy or tomato sauces, pasta salads, or even in soups.
Farfalle recipes Mushroom Pasta with Goat Cheese (pictured)Farfalle Pasta with Peas, Feta and Dill Italian Vegan Pasta SaladCreamy Goat Cheese PastaFarfalle Alfredo
What is it? Gigli is a short pasta shape with a fluted edge that is rolled into a cone shape or flower. Gigli is Italian for “lily”. It’s best when served with thick sauces.
Also known as: Campanelle
Gigli recipes Pesto Mac and Cheese (pictured)Greek Yogurt Mac and Cheese Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta
What is it? Orzo is a small pasta shaped like a grain of rice. It can be served as a side dish in the same way as rice, or used in pasta salads and in soups.
Orzo recipes Greek Orzo Salad (pictured) Spinach Parmesan Orzo
What is it? Mafaldine pasta is a ribbon-shaped pasta with wavy edges on both sides, almost like a long and thin lasagna noodle. It’s thicker than most of the longer noodle shapes, and works best with chunky veggies or seafood.
Also known as: Reginette
Mafaldine recipesRoasted Eggplant Pasta (pictured)Shrimp MarinaraMushroom Pasta with Goat Cheese
Margherita Pizza The best margherita pizza recipe is based on our visits to Italy and years of research! It features tangy pizza sauce & a perfect chewy pizza crust. Best Calzone Recipe Features homemade pizza dough and a veggie and two-cheese filling. Dip it in zesty pizza sauce and prepare to be amazed. Easy Creamy Gnocchi Pecorino cheese, butter and pepper make the tastiest weeknight dinner: Italian comfort food at its finest. Parmesan Truffle Risotto A seemingly gourmet dish, this risotto is pretty simple to put together. The black truffle flavor sends it out of this world.
