Common Pasta Shapes

Pastas come in an amazing variety of shapes. Certain Italian dishes call for specific pasta shapes because they compliment the sauce. This list gives a brief description of the most common pasta shapes:

• Agnolotti: Filled fresh pasta shaped like half moons.

  
  



• Bucatini: Long, fat strands that look like spaghetti but are hollow.

  
  



• Capelli d'angelo: Long and extremely thin. Name translates as "angel's hair."

  
  



• Cappellini: Slightly thicker than angel hair pasta but still very thin, long strands.

  
  



• Conchiglie: Shell-shaped pasta that comes in a variety of sizes. Oversized shells, called conchiglioni, are often stuffed and baked.

  
  



• Ditali: Tiny tubes often used in soup. Name translates as "thimbles."

  
  



• Farfalle: Bow-tie-shaped pasta. Name translates as "butterflies."

  
  



• Fettuccine: Long, flat strands of egg noodles.

  
  



• Fusilli: Corkscrew shape that comes in varying lengths.

  
  



• Lasagne: Long, wide sheets of pasta that are layered with sauce and cheese and baked.

  
  



• Linguine: Long, thin ribbons. Similar to spaghetti except strands have flat sides as well as rounded ones.

  
  



• Orecchiette: Small bowl-shaped pasta. Name translates as "little ears."

  
  



• Orzo: Shaped like extra-long grains of rice. Often used in soup.

  
  



• Pappardelle: Long, flat noodle that is two to three times as wide as fettuccine. Often cut into shorter pieces for easier eating.

  
  



• Pastina: Any of the tiny pasta added to soup, including ditalini (little thimbles), perline (little pearls), and stelline (little stars).

  
  



• Penne: Medium-length tubes with ends cut on an angle. Can be ridged. Name translates as "quills."

  
  



• Ravioli: Stuffed pasta shaped like square pillows. Edges are often ruffled.

  
  



• Rigatoni: Fat, squat tubes with grooved exterior.

  
  



• Rotelle: Small wheels.

  
  



• Ruote: Wheels.

  
  



• Spaghetti: Long, thin strands. Name comes from the word "spago," meaning string or cord.

  
  



• Tagliatelle: Long, flat strands that are slightly wider than fettuccine.

  
  



• Taglierini: Similar to tagliatelle but cut narrower.

  
  



• Tortellini: Stuffed pasta shaped like fat rings. Often used in soups.

  
  



• Trenette: Long-strand pasta shape that is similar to linguine.

  
  



• Vermicelli: Long, very thin strands that are thinner than spaghetti. Name translates as "little worms."

  
  



• Ziti: Narrow tubes of medium length. Similar to penne except ends are not cut on an angle.

  
  

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