Different types of pasta shapes and recipe pairings

Pasta is very popular dish across the world and liked by many people. it comes in many different variety and shapes to cater to different people and give you choices to have different pasta every time so that you wont get bored eating same type of pasta every time.

here we have discussed some of the pasta types and shapes found in different parts of the world and what you can eat with these pasta to make the recipe worth a try and great in taste.

To make these pasta you can make use of a pasta maker which is in your budget and best in market as it will help you enjoy homemade tasty pasta with good ingredients and tasty recipe.

to know about best flour to make pasta in your kitchen checkout our pasta flour guide as it would help you make best pasta at home without any hassle.

Fusilli

It originates from the traditional villages of Italy and comes in long spiral form. it is like corkscrew shaped paste and one of my favorites. it goes very well with different veggies like capsicums, tomatoes etc. and variety of spices and herbs. you can add tomato sauce and cheese cubes to make it thick and more tasty to enjoy with friends.

Farfalle

farfalle pasta has bow tie shaped edges which traps all kinds of sauces in them easily. it can be eaten with vegetable salad and other sauces also. it is easy to cook and can be preserved in fridge. you can add all kinds of spices and ingredients to make it taste as per your liking.

Penne

penne pasta comes in long hollow tubes form. it is served with tomato sauce or white cheese sauce and veggies mixture. it gets cooked in 10 minutes. you can use other types of sauce with it also as they get stick to the outer surface and inner hollow carving of the pasta making them great to eat with veggies such as mushroom, corns, small tomatoes, broccoli etc.

Gnocchi

it is popular pasta type which comes in small size flour rectangle dumplings. it can be paired with number of sauces like tomato sauce, veggies puree and other food ingredients like veggies including spinach, ricotta, tomatoes, legumes, non veg items like chicken etc.

Linguine

it is soft and flat pasta having around 4 mm width and long as spaghetti. it seems like long pressed noddle’s which taste great with lighter graves like veggie purees along with herbs sprinkle like rosemary and oregano. you can also pair them with seafood like shrimps or sauce like cheese sauce, pesto sauce and olive oil drizzle with salt and pepper to make it taste great overall.

Fettuccini

it is yet another Italian originated pasta which comes in form of long ribbons and taste good with butter and cheese drizzle on the top. it is also popular in roman region of the world and goes well with large variety of dishes and food ingredients like veggies, sea food, non veg items, bbq sauce and other similar items. you can pair it with main course also to eat it as a side during launch or dinner time.

Taglierini

it is ribbon like pasta with thin depth and medium size length. due to its physical properties it is quite delicate in handling and requires less cooking time. it can be paired with dry rubs and marinades and roasted sauces also taste good with it. you can add some butter drizzle with sea food salsa mix to make it taste good or pair it with truffles with pepper and mint leaves if you want to try something different.

Capellini

it is thin and long noodles type pasta which is added to many kinds of soups to make man chow dishes and other recipes. you can also eat it with normal sauces like tomato sauce, veggie sauce etc. adding it to chicken bucket or seafood bowl would also work. so overall you can try different combinations of herbs, spices, sauces and veggies to make it taste great whenever you are eating.

Spaghetti

spaghetti is popular pasta type which is known by everyone who loves to eat pasta. people across the world cook it with different combination of ingredients and recipes. it can be made with different types of sauces like cheese sauce, tomato sauce etc. along with veggies and meats of your choice to make it taste heavenly.

even some people don’t add any sauce to like in cacio e peppe dish. so as i said their is no limit to your imagination of ingredients and recipes to try with this long noddle’s pasta which is quite easy to make and cook.

cannelloni

It is long form pasta with hollow tube like structure. it works well with thick sauces and veggies which can be filled in the hollow tubes of the pasta to give to great taste. you can also make baked pastas dishes with this pasta and pair it with gooey cheese cubes, chunky vegetables and different herb choices. i goes well with leafy vegetable salads like spinach etc. or different types of breads like garlic bread, tomato bread etc.

gemelli

It is twisted pair of 2 strand of pasta. It is short in nature which makes it great choice for pasta salads of different types. it works great with cheese sauce and tomato sauce. it is not to popular but some people make it to try something different some time.

Radiatori

they are small radiator shaped like pasta which is fun to eat with variety of sauces and veggies. it works with all kinds of thick sauces and veggie chunks. you can add these pasta in vegetable soup and stews also to make them taste great instead of normal bread chunks. some people also add these in casserole preparations.

bucatini

it is like long hollow tubes like pasta which works best with thick sauce as it it get inside the pasta tubes to give you taste in every single bite of pasta. you can eat it with veggies puree or cheese sauce or pasta sauce.

foglie dulivo

It is olive leaves shaped pasta which comes from puglia. it taste great with vegetable chunks and vegetable puree sauce. you can also add olive oil, herbs, mushroom, pepper and tomatoes to make a great meal. spinach salad also works great with this pasta. normal pasta sauce also works wonder with this pasta. you can check our post on how long does pasta sauce last to know more about pasta sauce shelf life.

pappardelle

it originated in Tuscany and has broad width with long length. they are good with heavy and thick gravy sauces and mushroom slices. It goes well with all kinds of veggies, herbs and sauces. so try different combinations of meats, veggies and sauces to get the best tasting flavor from this type of pasta.

campanelle

it is in coned shaped with bend edges from sides. it is hollow in center and work great with thick sauces. you can eat it with traditional tomato sauce, cheese sauce etc. you can add to your casserole recipe or add some lentils and beans with chopped cilantro leaves to your pasta dish also to make it taste different. it can be easily made using skillet in your kitchen within minutes after soaking it in warm water.

croxetii

it is old pasta originated from liguria and comes in shape of a mandolin and can be made with hands to give different patterns to it. you can eat it with pesto sauce or tomato sauce. some people like it with sea food and cream cheese also.

Anelli

it comes in small rings form which are thin in size are a generally suited with soups and in cold pasta salad. if you want smaller version of anelli then you can try anellini. you can add these to your soups, stews and pasta salads also. some people also eat it with meat ragu.

Ravioli

it is a square shaped pasta which has empty pocket inside to fill it with different sauces, veggies mixture and minced meat to make it taste good. people also add seafood and cheese chunks inside to give is gooey texture and cheesy flavor from inside. you can eat it with any kind of sauce. but i like it with some spicy chili sauces like bbq etc. people eat it with butter drizzle and salt-pepper mix creamy garnish also to keep it simple and tasty.

capricci

it is shaped like irregular corals and comes in small chunky form factor to pair it with any kind of dressings sauces. you can enjoy it with cheese dips, creams or sauces drizzled over the top of the pasta. veggies like small tomatoes, beans, corns works great with this. you can also add chicken chunks in the dish if you eat them and also add some pasta chunks to your casserole recipe if you like.

lasagne

it is type of pasta which is know by every food lover across the world. it comes in form of long and broad and flat sheets which are paired with different sauces and veggies to make it taste great. cheese, eggs and veggies goes best this type of pasta, people also add some minced meat in between the sheets to enjoy non veg lasagna. thick sauces works best this type of pasta as it makes it fulfilling to eat and make overall pasta dense.

Fricelli

it comes from south italy region and is hand rolled generally to form a tube shaped which is closed from middle and open from both sides. you can have it with cheese sauce or vegetable sauce like tomato sauce. some think thick works with great as it is light in nature in thin in structure.

vermicelli

it is thin noddle’s shaped pasta which can be eaten in different herbs and curries. you can pair it with tomato sauce, pesto sauce and other different veggies.

orecchiette

It is small shell like structure like conch in open form. you can eat it with tomato sauce, cheese sauce, veggies sauce. all vegetables like small tomatoes, beans spinach etc. is good to add to the recipe. you can make baked pasta recipes with this orecchiette type of pasta and enjoy with friends, it taste great with thick sauces and gravy to give some substance to the dish with some relevant herbs.

Tagliatelle

it has originated from north italy region comes in ribbon like structure. it is flat and long in shape. it works with pesto sauce and other kinds of sauce which are thick in nature to give some base and taste to paste. you can also add melted cheese sauce with some herbs and fresh cilantro to the dish as it would make it taste good.

Rigatoni

it is larger and broader version of penne pasta and has more space in its hollow tube like structure. it can be eaten in pasta salad of other tube like pasta. thick sauce like cheese sauce.

Conclusion

Hope you are able to learn about all kinds of pasta types and shapes. let us know in comments below which one you liked the most and how you cook different types of pasta with different pairings.

if you friends love to cook pasta then share this with your friends to help them buy the right type of pasta and enjoy tasty pasta dishes in home. you can also checkout how to reheat pasta to enjoy it after couple of days when you have nothing to eat but only leftover pasta in fridge.