Explore the many possibilities of pasta and cook new and delicious dishes for your friends and family. While they are all different and versatile, some pasta types work better with specific sauces and accompaniments than others. In this encyclopaedia, we give you an overview of the most popular pasta types and dive into their origin and how they are used. From fresh to dry, long to short, we take you through the vast world of pasta, one popular type at a time.
The most popular types of pasta
Pasta has been around for centuries and graced dining tables around the world in an array of shapes and sizes – from long, slender tubes to tiny, rice-like grains. Whethrer it is a casual lunch, a lavish dinner, or a special occasion, pasta is used for many delightful dishes. Do you have a favourite type? Maybe you are looking for the best ways to prepare classics such as spaghetti and fettuccine, or maybe you are curious about the distinct difference between fusilli and penne. Either way, we are here to guide you through the delicious possibilities.
String pasta
String pasta are long, thin strands that vary in thickness. For example, capellini is very thin and pairs well with light sauces, while spaghetti and pici are thicker and typically used with richer sauces like marinara and carbonara. Their elongated, slender shape is ideal for twirling on a fork. Below, we go through some of the most popular types of string pasta.
Spaghetti
Long, thin, and cylindrical, spaghetti is probably the most recognisable and popular pasta worldwide. Being the go-to choice for easy spaghetti pesto and creamy spaghetti Bolognese, spaghetti has the ideal shape for smooth sauces. Learn more about the best spaghetti recipes and how to cook them in our article on spaghetti.
Cooking time: 8–10 minutes
Often used for: Bolognese, aglio e olio, and alla carbonara
Best sauce pairings: Tomato, meat, and pesto
Capellini
Capellini is known for its thin and delicate strands of pasta, which have given it its wonderful nickname: angel hair. They are simple, easy, and quick to cook, taking about 3–5 minutes. Their light and tender texture is best suited for light sauces made with, for example, olive oil, garlic, and fresh tomatoes. In some cases, they can be found in seafood dishes. The delicate nature of capellini lets them complement subtle flavours without ever overshadowing the other ingredients.
Cooking time: 3–5 minutes
Often used for: Light sauces and seafood
Best sauce pairing: Light tomato sauce and oil-based sauces
Pici
Looking like fat spaghetti, pici is a thick, hand-rolled pasta from Tuscany known for its slightly irregular shape. While pici is traditionally served with simple, rustic sauces such as aglione, it can also be used in ragù, where it soaks up its robust flavours.
Cooking time: 4–6 minutes
Often used for: Briciole, aglione, and cacio e pepe
Best sauce pairing: Meat ragù, garlic, and oil
Stuffed pasta
Stuffed pasta combines tender pasta dough with rich, flavourful fillings. These varieties are cherished for the way they encapsulate the fillings, ranging from cheeses and meats to vegetables and even seafood. They are often served with creamy sauces that complement the filling. Let us explore some of these popular types.
Tortellini
Tortellini are small ring-shaped pasta filled with a mixture of meats and cheese. They come from the Emilia region in Italy and are traditionally served in broth or with a light cream sauce, which highlights their delicate texture and savoury filling. They are often enjoyed during festive seasons or family gatherings. You can find many different varieties, such as tortellini with mushrooms or lobster tortellini.
Cooking time: 5–6 minutes
Often used for: Broth soups, cream sauces
Best sauce pairings: Cream-based sauces, pesto, browned butter, and marinara.
Ravioli
Ravioli are square or round pockets of pasta that encase a variety of fillings, from traditional ricotta and spinach to more adventurous combinations like pumpkin. They are typically coated with a sauce that mirrors the filling's flavours, such as butter and sage or a simple tomato sauce. Try simple ravioli with a cream cheese filling, or if you are a bit adventurous, you might even want to try fried ravioli in tomato sauce.
Cooking time: 4–6 minutes
Often used for: Broths and light sauces
Best sauce pairings: Tomato and butter-based sauces
Agnolotti
Agnolotti are similar to ravioli but are typically rectangular or crescent-shaped. They are traditionally filled with roasted meats and vegetables, showcasing the flavours of Piedmont's rich culinary traditions. Unlike ravioli, the edges of agnolotti are folded together. They are often served with a meat sauce or a butter and sage sauce, which complements the richness of the filling.
Cooking time: 5–8 minutes
Often used for: Light broths
Best sauce pairings: Meat and butter-based sauces
Pasta tubes
Pasta-shaped tubes have a hollow centre that helps them hold sauces well, which is one of the reasons why this type remains very popular. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, ranging from short and wide to long and narrow. This makes them great for different recipes, whether it is with thick, chunky sauces or creamy and baked dishes. Below, we will take a look at various types of pasta tubes like rigatoni, bucatini, and cavatappi.
Rigatoni
Rigatoni is a ridged, tube-shaped pasta that is large and slightly curved. Its wide shape excellently captures chunky ingredients and thicker meat- or vegetable-based sauces. When cooked, rigatoni becomes firm and chewy, and it is particularly well-suited for baked pasta dishes.
Cooking time: 10–12 minutes
Often used for: Baked dishes and meat sauces
Best sauce pairing: Chunky meat or vegetable sauces, cream, cheese
Cannelloni
Large and cylindrical, cannelloni is a popular pasta type that is frequently stuffed and baked. Its large tube shape can hold many types of fillings, for example, ricotta and cheese or a combination of cheeses topped with béchamel sauce. You can also stuff them with meat and enjoy a wonderful chicken cannelloni.
Cooking time: 4–5 minutes (before baking)
Often used for: Stuffed pasta bakes
Best sauce pairing: Tomato sauce and bèchamel
Bucatini
Bucatini may resemble spaghetti with its long, cylindrical shape, but it is notably thicker and has a hollow centre. This structure allows it to absorb sauces effectively, lending a distinctive texture to the pasta. It is especially favoured for dishes that use smooth, tomato-based sauces, which easily seep into the hollow core of the bucatini.
Cooking time: 8–12 minutes
Often used for: Amatriciana sauce, casseroles, and stir-fried dishes
Best sauce pairing: Tomato and buttery sauces
Paccheri
Paccheri are large, thick pasta shaped like tubes, much larger than rigatoni. Their smooth texture and expansive, hollow centres make them ideal for fillings. Popular fillings for paccheri are ricotta cheese and sausages. When cooked, they maintain their firm texture, allowing the sauce to fill them up nicely.
Cooking time: 8–10 minutes
Often used for: Stuffed and baked pasta dishes and seafood
Best sauce pairing: Tomato and oil-based sauces
Penne
Short pasta types, such as penne, work wonders in gratins and pasta salads due to their hollow centres, which are a great place for sauces and smaller ingredients to gather. That way, every bite is packed with flavour. There exist many variations of penne with smooth surfaces or ridges, making it one of the most popular and versatile pasta types. It is used in everything from baked dishes to tomato, cream, and pesto sauces.
Cooking time: 10–12 minutes
Often used for: Baked pasta dishes and rich sauces
Best sauce pairing: Pesto, marinara, and arrabbiata
Ziti
Ziti, sometimes known as zite, are also a tube-shaped pasta, but this one is about medium width and slightly narrower and shorter than its older brother, the rigatoni. With smooth sides and straight-cut ends, ziti is an excellent option for baked pasta dishes. They tend to be combined with marinara sauce, cheese, and occasionally meat. Their firm texture holds up well during baking.
Cooking time: 10–12 minutes
Often used for: Baked dishes and creamy casseroles
Best sauce pairing: Light tomato-based sauces, olive oil, and cream
Cavatappi
With its short, spiral-shaped tubes, cavatappi is also known as corkscrew pasta. The ridges and spiral shape make it particularly good for catching creamy and thick sauces. It is sometimes called "double elbow" and is used similarly to elbow pasta, such as in macaroni dishes.
Cooking time: 6–8 minutes
Often used for: Mac and cheese, pasta salads, and baked dishes
Best sauce pairing: Meat, vegetable and cheese sauces
Flat pasta
Flat pasta types are very popular because of their large surface area, which allows them to accommodate thick, creamy sauces. They come in various shapes, including long, ribbon-like shapes and wide, flat sheets such as lasagne. Types like tagliatelle, fettuccine, and linguine are particularly well-suited for rich meat sauces, including bolognese and Alfredo. Let us help you select the perfect long, flat pasta for your next meal.
Tagliatelle
Tagliatelle is a long, flat pasta that looks like a ribbon. It is made with eggs and gets a rich, tender texture when cooked. People often confuse it with fettuccine, though tagliatelle is slightly wider. The broad surface area allows it to hold and absorb thicker sauces. Traditionally, it is used in ragù or bolognese, but it also pairs well with creamy sauces like mushroom tagliatelle.
Cooking time: 8–10 minutes
Often used for: Bolognese
Best sauce pairing: Meat and cream-based sauces
Fettuccine
Fettuccine is another very popular pasta. It is similar to tagliatelle but narrower. Made with eggs, this pasta has a rich texture that is tender yet firm when cooked. A classic in Italian cuisine, fettuccine has also gained popularity in many kitchens around the world. It is famously used in dishes such as fettuccine Alfredo or chicken fettuccine Alfredo, but it pairs well with seafood, too, for example, as we do in this creamy prawn fettuccine.
Cooking time: 10–12 minutes
Often used for: Alfredo
Best sauce pairing: Cream and cheese sauces
Linguine
Linguine is a classic pasta type perfectly suited for recipes with lighter sauces. Long and flat, it is thinner than fettuccine but thicker than spaghetti. Its shape makes it ideal for clinging to small ingredients and ensuring an even sauce coating. Typically, linguine is the pasta of choice for seafood dishes, but it also works well with pesto or simple olive oil-based sauces.
Cooking time: 8–10 minutes
Often used for: Seafood
Best sauce pairing: Pesto and tomato and fish sauces
Pappardelle
Pappardelle is a large, wide, and flat pasta ideally suited for thick meat sauces or combinations featuring mushrooms and truffles. Its name derives from "pappare," an Italian verb meaning "to gobble up," which playfully alludes to the somewhat messy way it is enjoyed. When cooked, pappardelle become chewy, with its broad shape effortlessly capturing chunky ingredients and dense sauces.
Cooking time: 7–10 minutes
Often used for: Bolognese and ragù
Best sauce pairing: Tomato and meat sauces
Lasagne sheets
Above all, lasagne sheets are used for lasagne. The sheets are large and flat, making them perfect layers to hold different meat-, vegetable-, and cheese sauces when baked, for example, in a beef and vegetable lasagne or a spinach and ricotta lasagne. Lasagne sheets are found in dried and fresh forms, and the latter can also be used for cannelloni, where they are rolled around flavourful fillings and baked in the oven – often covered in a delicious sauce, as we do in this recipe for chicken cannelloni.
Cooking time: About 45 minutes, depending on the dish
Often used for: Lasagne al forno
Best sauce pairing: Béchamel, bolognese, and tomato sauce
Short pasta
Short pasta comes in all kinds of fun, exciting, and interesting shapes with curves and ridges that are perfect for catching sauces. You can use them in dishes like casseroles and pasta salads or with chunky sauces for extra flavour and visual appeal. Some well-known types include orzo and fusilli, but there are also less common ones like trofie and radiatori. We are here to help you discover and enjoy all kinds of short pasta.
Orzo
Orzo, also known as pastina or "little pasta," is a small, rice-shaped pasta known for its tender texture. Due to its simplicity and versatility, orzo is similar to rice in many ways, making it a popular choice for both soups and salads. Its compact size allows it to absorb flavours very well, making it an ideal pairing with light sauces and broths.
Cooking time: 8–10 minutes
Often used for: Soups (for instance, minestrone), salads, and casseroles
Best sauce pairing: Light vinaigrettes and tomato sauce
Fusilli
Fusilli is a short, spiral-shaped pasta available in various lengths and thicknesses. It is extremely popular and used in many different recipes. Its corkscrew-like shape is excellent at capturing sauces, making it a favourite choice for tomato-based sauces with meat or vegetables. Like many other short pasta varieties, fusilli also work well in pasta salads and dishes with pesto.
Cooking time: 8–10 minutes
Often used for: Pasta salads and baked dishes
Best sauce pairing: Pesto and tomato sauce
Orecchiette
Orecchiette, meaning "little ears" in Italian, is a small, concave pasta that looks slightly disk-shaped. Its signature shape has a few gaps and indentations that are great for capturing sauces and smaller ingredients. Because of this feature, orecchiette has become a popular choice for heavy sauces and is often served with meat and vegetable ragù.
Cooking time: 9–12 minutes
Often used for: Orecchiette alla Pugliese and chunky vegetable sauces such as broccoli rabe
Best sauce pairing: Most sauces, including meat and cream-based sauces
Farfalle
Shaped like bow ties or butterflies, farfalle is a small type of pasta that looks as if they have been pinched in the middle. Their shape is not just a visual gimmick, but it also provides different textures in each bite. While the centre is firm, the outer areas are thinner and, therefore, more tender when cooked. Farfalle is also a very adaptable pasta type that can be used in pasta salads and recipes with creamy sauces and vegetables. Children especially enjoy their playful shape.
Cooking time: 10–12 minutes
Often used for: Pasta salads and soups
Best sauce pairing: Tomato and creamy cheese sauces
Strozzapreti
Strozzapreti are elongated, twisted pasta shapes about five centimetres in length. Aside from their twisted shape, they also have a ridged surface that makes them great for gripping creamy sauces or pesto. The name "strozzapreti" translates to "priest-choker" in Italian, a nod to the legend that priests would eat them so quickly and avidly due to their deliciousness that they might choke. The veracity of this tale might be questionable, but the delightful taste of strozzapreti is undeniable.
Cooking time: 8–10 minutes
Often used for: Alla Romagnola and seafood
Best sauce pairing: Pesto and ragú
Radiatori
Their name almost gives it away. Radiatori are small pasta shapes with ridges that look like old-fashioned radiators. Because of this particular shape, they are often used in baked dishes, soups, and chunky meat and vegetable sauces. The reason is simple: their shape and texture, full of ridges and gaps, trap the sauce perfectly.
Cooking time: 8–11 minutes
Often used for: Soups, salads, and casseroles
Best sauce pairing: Pesto and meat sauces
Conchiglie
While conchiglie is the most popular name, this type of pasta is also referred to as shells because of its resemblance to conch shells. It comes in various shapes and sizes and is famed for its partly hollow centre, which acts like a nest for sauces and ingredients. Conchiglie is another incredibly versatile pasta that can be used in everything from baked dishes and soups to meat and vegetable sauces.
Cooking time: 10–12 minutes
Often used for: Salads and stuffed and baked dishes
Best sauce pairing: Vinaigrettes and tomato, meat, and cheese sauces
Trofie
Trofie pasta, originating from the Liguria region of Italy, is characterised by its short, twisted form. This distinctive shape is achieved by rolling the dough on a flat surface into a short, cylindrical length with tapered ends, which is then twisted to form its final spiral-like appearance. Trofie has a dense, chewy texture when cooked and is often paired with pesto alla Genovese. Its twisted contours enable sauces to adhere well.
Cooking time: 10–12 minutes
Often used for: Trofie alla Genovese
Best sauce pairing: Pesto and tomato sauce
Campanelle
The firm texture of campanelle makes it versatile and a perfect companion to a variety of sauces. In Italian, Campanella means "bells" or "bellflowers," even though its appearance is more cone-shaped and has ruffled edges. People like to pair it with creamy and chunky sauces.
Cooking time: 9–11 minutes
Often used for: Creamy and vegetable dishes
Best sauce pairing: Creamy, meat, and tomato-based sauces
Elbow pasta
Elbow pasta is also known as macaroni and is shaped as short C-shaped tubes. They are used for comfort meals such as quick mac and cheese, chicken mac and cheese, and butter chicken mac and cheese. It is their small, curved shape that makes them perfect for different creamy sauces.
Cooking time: 6–8 minutes
Often used for: Pasta salads, soups, and baked dishes
Best sauce pairing: Cheese and buttery sauces
Put the different types of pasta to good use
Although some pasta types are better suited for particular dishes than others, you can always play around and experiment with the different varieties. Small pasta require a shorter cooking time than big ones, so if time is at the essence on busy days, opt for, for example, orzo, capellini, or elbow pasta and toss with pesto or a quick tomato sauce. You can also find inspiration in our list of quick and easy pasta recipes – all can be done in half an hour. If you like pasta with different fillings, check out our article about stuffed pasta, where we go through some popular types and present a selection of recipes.
