PASTA SHAPES & SIZES
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Long, straight pasta noodles
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TYPE:
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SHAPE:
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BEST USED:
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SERVED:
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Capellini (Angel hair)
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Long, rounded, very thin
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Hot
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With light sauces, or tossed with olive oil and fresh steamed vegetables
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Vermicelli
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Long, rounded, thinner than spaghetti
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Hot, can be used cold
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With light sauces, or tossed in pasta salads
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Linguine
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Long, flat, narrow
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Hot
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Large enough to hold slightly thicker sauces, for example a marinara sauce
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Spaghetti
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Long, rounded, average thickness
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Hot
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With tomato-based sauces or baked in casseroles
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Fettuccine
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Long, flat, wider than linguine
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Hot
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Thick sauces, especially creamy sauces
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Lasagna
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Long, very wide, may be flat-edged or have curled edges
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Hot
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Baked, in lasagna and other casserole-type dishes
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Curly pastas
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TYPE:
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SHAPE:
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BEST USED:
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SERVED:
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Rotini (Spirals)
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Fairly short spirals
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Hot or cold
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With thick/chunky sauces or in pasta salads
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Fusilli
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Long, corkscrew-shaped spaghetti
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Hot or cold
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Very versatile, good with most sauces, in soup or in pasta salad,
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Tagliatelle (Egg noodles)
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Same width as fettuccine or linguine, but not flattened
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Hot
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Baked dishes, soups, stroganoff
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Tubular pastas
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TYPE:
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SHAPE:
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BEST USED:
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SERVED:
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Ditalini
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Small, very short tubes
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Hot or cold
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Soups or pasta salads
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Elbow macaroni
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Curved tubes
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Hot or cold
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Baked dishes, or in pasta salad
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Perciatelli (Long macaroni)
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Long, thin, straight tubes
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Hot
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Use in place of spaghetti
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Ziti
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Slightly curved tubes, wider and longer than elbow macaroni
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Hot or cold
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Baked, in pasta salads, with thick sauces
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Penne
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Straight, medium-length tubes, often ridged instead of smooth, cut on diagonal
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Hot
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In soups, baked, with a wide variety of sauces
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Rigatoni
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Straight, short tubes, wider than penne, also ridged
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Hot
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Variety of sauces; ridges hold thick or creamy sauces well
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Cannelloni
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Large, long tubes
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Hot
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Stuffed
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Manicotti
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Longer and wider than penne, may be ridged
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Hot
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Stuffed
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Other shapes
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TYPE:
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SHAPE:
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BEST USED:
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SERVED:
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Alphabets
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Letters of the alphabet
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Hot
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In soups
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Anelli (rings)
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Small, O-shaped
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Hot
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In soups
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Bow Tie Pasta
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Squares pinched in the middle to form bow-ties
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Hot
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In soups and with grains, like buckwheat, in side dishes
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Conchiglie (Shells)
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Shells with one long, narrow opening
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Hot or cold
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In soups, baked, in pasta salads
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Conchiglioni (Jumbo shells)
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Like regular shells, but much larger
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Hot
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Stuffed
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Orzo
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Size and shape of grains or cooked rice
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Hot
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As side dish
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Radiatore (Radiators)
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Ruffled and ridged, like a radiator
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Hot; can be used cold
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With thick or creamy sauces, in soups, in salad
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Ruote (Wheels)
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Wagon wheels
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Hot
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In soups, casseroles, with thick sauces
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Filled pastas
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TYPE:
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SHAPE:
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BEST USED:
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SERVED:
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Agnolotti
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Small, crescent-shaped, may be filled with a variety of meats or cheeses
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Hot
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With variety of sauces
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Gnocchi
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Dumplings, may have cheese, potatoes or spinach in dough
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Hot
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As side dish
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Tortellini
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Small, filled, ring-shaped pasta
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Hot
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Good with a variety of thick or creamy sauces
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Ravioli
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Usually round, with cheese or beef filling
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Hot
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Baked or boiled, with thick sauces
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