15 Types of Pasta Shapes

Potato Gnocchi

Gnocchi is an Italian pasta made of cooked mashed potatoes, flour, and eggs. There is also a version made from full-fat ricotta cheese. These soft, doughy dumplings are often served with a savory white or red sauce.

Try it in Potato Gnocchi with Pork Ragù.

Linguine

Italian for “little tongues,” linguine is elliptical in shape and about 4 millimeters in width.

It is wider than spaghetti, but not as wide as fettuccine. It's traditionally served with seafood or pesto, but we love it with crispy pancetta and Brussels sprouts!

Try it in Pancetta-and-Brussels Sprouts Linguini.

Bucatini

Bucatini is a long pasta that’s similar to spaghetti, but thicker and with a hole running through the center. This means that with every bite, you might get a little extra sauce that's found it's way into the hole. Yum!

Try it in Bucatini with Winter Pesto and Sweet Potatoes.

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Tagliatelle

Tagliatelle is a long, ribbon-shaped pasta that's similar to fettuccine. In fact, some people say they’re actually the exact same thing! This pasta is usually known as fettuccine in Rome and Southern Italy, while Northern Italians typically refer to it as tagliatelle. Often served with a rich meat sauce, like bolognese, it's also delicious with fresh vegetables.

Try it in Tagliatelle with Pesto, Asparagus, and Shrimp

Pappardelle

Is it any wonder that the word pappardelle comes from the Italian pappare, which means “to gobble up”? This pasta comes in the form of long, broad ribbons that are the perfect canvas for rich, meaty ragù sauces.

Try it in Pappardelle with Beef Ragu.

Cavatelli

Considered one of the oldest pasta types, cavatelli are made from an eggless dough and rolled into small shells that resemble tiny hot dog buns. Commonly cooked with broccoli or broccoli rabe, you can kick things up a notch by adding spicy Italian sausage.

Try it in Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe.

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Tortellini

Tortellini are ring-shaped pastas that are often stuffed with cheese or meat. Tortellini are traditionally served in capon broth, which could explain why they make the perfect addition to a variety of soups.

Try it in Pesto Chicken Minestrone.

Ravioli

Ravioli are a type of pasta featuring a filling enveloped in thin, egg-based fresh pasta dough. Raviolis can be square or circular and stuffed with meat, cheese, or vegetables. One of our favorite recipes features a butternut squash center.

Try it in Butternut Squash Ravioli with Seared Chicken.

Macaroni

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Fettuccine

Farfalle

Also known as bow-tie pasta or butterfly pasta, farfalle is perfect for cream-based sauces or in pasta salads. This pasta is said to date back to the 1500s, originating in Northern Italy.

Try it in Creamy Chicken-and-Broccoli Pesto Bow Ties.

Lasagna

Lasagna is a type of wide, flat pasta (often with a ruffled edge). It's typically layered with sauce and cheese to form the popular casserole dish of the same name.

Lasagna originated in Italy and is considered one of the oldest types of pasta in the world.

Try it in Sausage and Cheese Lasagna.

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Rigatoni

Similar to penne pasta, rigatoni are a large, tube-shaped pasta with ridged edges that perfectly hold sauces and grated cheese. These thick tubes are strong enough to take on heavier or creamy sauces like Bolognese.

Try it in Skillet Roasted Cauliflower and Sausage Rigatoni.

Orecchiette

Orecchiette means “little ears” in Italian, which makes a lot of sense when you look at their shape. These round, dome-like pasta shells are thinner in the center than they are on the edges. This gives them a toothsome texture.

Try it in Orecchiette with Sausage and Radicchio.

Spaghetti

This one you know! Spaghetti is a long, thin, solid, cylindrical pasta shape that’s typically served with thick sauces, such as tomato sauce. A staple food anywhere you go, spaghetti is so beloved in the U.S. that it has its own unofficial holiday on January 4.

Try it in Spaghetti with Red Onion and Bacon.

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