ITALIAN PASTA SHAPES
By Dr. Myles H. Bader
- Anellini – Shaped like small rings.
- Bavettine – A narrow linguine.
- Bucantini – Hollow thin strands.
- Cannaroni – Very wide tubes.
- Cannelloni – Hollow tubes up to 2 inches long.
- Capellini - Angel hair, very thin strands.
- Capelveneri – Thin medium width noodles.
- Cappelletti – Shaped like small hats.
- Cavatappi – Short spiral macaroni shaped.
- Cavatelli - Short, shells with a rippled edge.
- Conchiglie – Shaped like a conch shell.
- Coralli – Tiny soup tubes.
- Cresti-di-gali – Looks like a roosters comb.
- Ditali – Shaped like small thimbles.
- Ditalini – Small thimble shapes.
- Farfalle – Shaped like a bowtie. The word means butterfly in Italian. Sold in two sizes, large and small.
- Fedelini – Very fine spaghetti.
- Fettucce – Flat egg noodles.
- Fideo – Very thin, coiled strands.
- Funghini – Pasta that are related to the mushroom family and are used in Italian soups and stews.
- Fusilli bucati – Corkscrew-shaped pasta.
- Gemelli – Two stands of spaghetti twisted together.
- Gnocchi – Very small rippled-edge stuffed shells.
- Lasagna – Very long, broad noodles.
- Linguine – Very narrow pasta ribbons.
- Lumache – Pasta shaped like snail shells.
- Macaroni – Curved pasta, comes in many sizes with a hollow center.
- Maccheroni – Italian for all types of macaroni.
- Mafalde – Ripple-edged flat, broad noodles.
- Magliette – Short, curved pasta tubes.
- Manicotti – Very large stuffed tubes.
- Margherite – Narrow, flat one-sided ripple edged noodles.
- Maruzze – Pasta shaped like sea, shells.
- Mezzani – Short: curved tubes.
- Mostaccioli – Tubes, about 2 inches long with a slight curve.
- Occhi-di-lupo – Very large tubes of pasta; sometimes referred to as “wolf’s eye.”
- Orcchiette – Pasta shaped like ears.
- Orzo – Pasta, the size and shape of rice.
- Pappardelle – Wide noodles with rippled sides.
- Pastina – A variety of pasta shapes used in soups.
- Penne – Tubes that are diagonally cut with ridged sides.
- Perciatelli – Thin, hollow tubes, about twice as thick as spaghetti.
- Pezzoccheri – Very thick buckwheat noodles.
- Pulcini – Used mainly in soups and called “little chickens.”
- Quadrettini – Very small pasta squares.
- Radiatore – Resemble small radiators.
- Ravioli – Small squares of pasta stuffed with different ingredients.
- Riccini – Pasta shaped like ringlet curls.
- Rigatoni – Very large, grooved shaped pasta.
- Riso – Another rice-shaped pasta
- Rotelli – Small “wagon wheel” shaped pasta.
- Rotini – Very small spiral-shaped pasta.
- Ruoti – Round pasta with spokes, looks like a wagon wheel.
- Semi de Melone – Small, melon seed-shaped pasta.
- Spaghetti – Very long: thin strands of pasta.
- Spaghettini – Very thin, spaghetti.
- Tagliarini – Pasta shaped like ribbons, usually paper-thin.Tagliatelle – Very long, flat egg noodles.
- Tortellini – Pasta that is supposed to resemble the Italian Roman Goddess Venus’ navel. “Little Twists.”
- Tripolini – Very small bow ties that have rounded edges.
- Tubetti – Very tiny hollow tubes.
- Vermicelli – Italian word for worms, which they resemble. Also known as spaghetti
- Ziti – A very short tubular-shaped pasta.