List of pasta

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Some different colours and shapes of pasta, in a pasta specialty store in Venice.
Some different colours and shapes of pasta, in a pasta specialty store in Venice.

While the only basic difference between these names is the shape of the pasta, each pasta is typically matched with a particular sauce based on cooking time, consistency, ability to hold sauce, ease of eating, etc. In the same way that hamburgers are generally not eaten on hot dog buns, pasta amatriciana, for example, is not made with angel hair spaghetti, but with bucatini. Some pasta varieties are uniquely regional and not diffused throughout Italy. In other cases, the cut of pasta is present in more than one region, but the cut is called by another name. For example, the cut rotelle is also called by the names ruote and wagon wheel.

Contents

[edit] Pasta-like shapes

Image Type Common? Description Translation
Campanelle No Small cones Little bells
Casarecci No Short lengths rolled into an S shape
Cavatelli Yes Seashell shaped with rolled edges
Cechetti No Spherical, stuffed with basil, served with liver and cloves of garlic Little dancing tin cans
Cencioni No Petal shaped, slightly curved with rough convex side Little rag
Conchiglie Yes Seashell shaped Shells
Conchiglioni Yes Large, stuffable seashell shaped Large shells
Creste di galli No Short, curved and ruffled cocks' combs
Croxetti Yes Flat coin-shaped discs stamped with coats of arms Little crosses
Fantolioni No Panda-shaped bow-ties commonly served with boiled clives Pre-packaged pandas
Farfalle Yes Bow tie or butterfly shaped Butterflies
Farfallone No Larger bow ties Large butterfly
Fiorentine Yes Tuscan pasta shape Florentines
Fioriettini Yes Shaped like a flower Little flowers
Foglie d'ulivo Yes Shaped like an olive leaf Olive leaf
Fusilli Yes Three-edged spiral, usually in mixed colours. Many vendors and brands sold as fusilli are two-edged From fusile, archaic/dialect form of fucile, meaning rifle. As the inside barrel of a gun is "rifled" using a similar screw-shaped device
Fusilli Bucati No A more spring shaped variety Holed rifles
Gemelli Yes A single S-shaped strand of pasta twisted in a loose spiral Twins
Gigli No Cone or flower shaped Lilies
Gramigna No Short curled lengths of pasta Scutch-grass; more generically, "infesting weed"
Lanterne No Curved ridges Lantern holders
Lumache No Snail shaped From lumaca, meaning snail
Lumaconi No Jumbo Lumache Large snails
Maltagliati Yes Flat roughly cut triangles Badly cut
Marille No Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro in 1983 - like a rolling ocean wave in cross-section, but unsuccessful & no longer produced From mare, meaning "sea"
Orecchiette Yes Bowl or ear shaped pasta Little ears
Pipe Yes Larger versions of macaroni Smoking pipes
Quadrefiore No Square with rippled edges Flower quadrants
Radiatore Yes Shaped like radiators Radiator
Ricciolini No Short wide noodles with a 90-degree twist Curly
Rotelle Yes Wagon wheel shaped pasta Little wheels (from ruota—wheel)
Rotini Yes 2-edged spiral, tightly wound. Some vendors and brands are 3-edged and sold as rotini
Spirali Yes A tube which spirals round Spirals
Spiralini No More tightly-coiled fusilli Little spirals
Strozzapreti No Rolled across their width Priest-chokers or priest-stranglers
Torchio No Torch shaped Winepress
Trofie Yes Thin twisted pasta

[edit] Tubular pasta

Image Type Common? Description Translation
Bucatini Yes Hollow spaghetti little hole
Calamarata No Wide ring shaped pasta squid (also known as "calamari")
Calamaretti No Smaller Calamarata
Cannelloni Yes Large stuffable tubes big pipes or big reeds
Cavatappi No Corkscrew-shaped macaroni corkscrews
Cellentani No Corkscrew-shaped tube
Chifferi No Short and wide macaroni
Ditalini Yes Short tubes; like elbows but shorter and without a bend small fingers
Fideuà No Short and thin tubes
Elbow macaroni Yes Bent tubes Gomito maccheroni
Elicoidali No Slightly ribbed tube pasta; the ribs are corked as opposed to those on rigatoni
Fagioloni No Short narrow tube little beans
Garganelli No Square egg noodle rolled into a tube
Maccheroni Yes As long as a little finger, usually striped. Note: The English term macaroni is used in the US for any tubular pasta, not just maccheroni.
Maccheroncelli No Hollow pencil shaped pasta
Maltagliati No Short wide pasta with diagonally cut ends
Manicotti Yes Large stuffable ridged tubes Sleeves (from the Italian, "manica")
Mezzani No Short curved tube
Mezze Penne Yes Short version of penne half-pens
Mezzi Bombardoni No Wide short tubes
Mostaccioli Yes Sometimes confused to be another name for Penne, Mostaccioli differs in that it does not have ridges. Mostaccioli is also called Penne Lisce or "smooth penne" "mustaches"
Paccheri No Large tube
Pasta al ceppo No Shaped like a cinnamon stick
Penne Yes Medium length tubes with ridges, cut diagonally at both ends literally "pens" because the tip is similar to that of a quill, or fountain pen
Penne rigate Yes Penne with ridged sides
Penne lisce Yes Penne with smooth sides
Penne Zita No Wider version of penne
Pennette No Short thin version of penne
Pennoni No Wider version of penne
Perciatelli No Thicker bucatini
Rigatoncini No Smaller version of rigatoni
Rigatoni Yes Large and slightly curved tube from "riga," meaning line: rigatoni means that with lines (large). "rigato" or "rigate", when added to another pasta name means lined, or, with ridges added, as in "spaghetti rigate"
Sagne Incannulate No Long tube formed of twisted ribbon
Trenne No Penne shaped as a triangle
Trennette No Smaller version of trenne
Tortiglioni No Narrower rigatoni
Tuffoli No Ridged rigatoni
Ziti Yes Long, narrow hose-like tubes
Zitoni No Wider version of Ziti

[edit] Strand noodles

[edit] Straight round-rods

In order from thickest to thinnest.

Image Type Common? Pronunciation Description Translation
Spaghettoni No [spagetˈtoni] Thick spaghetti. -oni “thick/large”
Spaghetti Yes [spaˈgetti] A round-rod pasta, thicker than fedelini. spago means twine. spaghetto means little twine. spaghetti is plural
Spaghettini Yes [spagetˈtini] Thin spaghetti. thin twine
Fedelini No [fedeˈlini] A round-rod pasta, thicker than vermicelli, and thinner than spaghetti. little faithful ones
Vermicelloni No [vermitʃelˈloni] Thick vermicelli. Thick vermicelli
Vermicelli Yes [vermiˈtʃɛlli] A round-rod pasta, thicker than capellini, and thinner than fedelini. little worms
Capellini Yes [kapelˈlini] A round-rod pasta, thicker than angel hair, and thinner than vermicelli. thin hair
Capelli d'angelo Yes [kaˈpelli ˈdandʒelo] The thinnest round-rod pasta. Angel hair

[edit] Other

Image Type Common Description Translation
Barbina No Thin strands often coiled into nests little beards
Spaghetti alla chitarra No Similar to spaghetti, except square rather than round, and made of egg in addition to flour named after the device used to cut the pasta, which has a wooden frame strung with metal wires. Sheets of pasta are pressed down onto the device, and then the wires are "strummed" so that the slivers of pasta fall through.
Ciriole No Thicker version of chitarra
Fusilli lunghi No Very long coiled rods (like a thin telephone cord) long rifles
Pici Tuscany Very thick, long, hand rolled

[edit] Ribbon pasta noodles

Image Type Common? Description Translation
Bavette No Narrower version of tagliatelle
Bavettine No Narrower version of bavette
Fettuce No Wider version of fettuccine
Fettuccine Yes Ribbon of pasta approximately 6.5 millimeters wide Little ribbons
Fettucelle No Narrower version of fettuccine
Lagane No Wide noodles
Lasagne Yes Very wide noodles that often have fluted edges cooking pot
Lasagnette No Narrower version of lasagna
Lasagnotte No Longer version of lasagna
Linguettine No Narrower version of linguine
Linguine Yes Flattened spaghetti little tongues
Mafalde No Short rectangular ribbons
Mafaldine No Long ribbons with ruffled sides
Pappardelle Yes Thick flat ribbon
Pillus No Very thin ribbons
Pizzoccheri No Ribbon pasta made from buckwheat
Reginette No Wide ribbon with rippled edges
Sagnarelli No Rectangular ribbons with fluted edges
Scialatelli of Scilatielli No Homemade long spaghetti with a twisted long spiral
Stringozzi No Similar to shoelaces
Tagliatelle Yes Ribbon fairly thinner than fettuccine From "tagliare" - to cut
Taglierini No Thinner version of Tagliatelle
Trenette No Thin ribbon ridged on one side
Tripoline No Thick ribbon ridged on one side

[edit] Micro pasta

Image Type Common? Description Translation
Acini di pepe No Bead-like pasta Peppercorns
Alphabets Yes Pasta shaped as letters of the alphabet Letters
Anelli No Small rings of pasta rings
Anellini No Smaller version of anelli little rings
Couscous Yes Grain looking pasta. Most common in North Africa. Increasingly more common in Asia and North America
Conchigliette Yes Small shell shaped pasta little shells
Corallini No Small short tubes of pasta little corals
Ditali Yes Small short tubes thimbles
Ditalini Yes Smaller versions of ditali little thimbles
Farfalline No Small bow tie shaped pasta bow ties
Fideos No Short thin noodles
Filini No Smaller version of fideos
Fregula No Bead-like pasta from Sardinia
Funghini No Small mushroom shaped pasta little mushrooms
Occhi di pernice No Very small rings of pasta
Orzo Yes Rice shaped pasta (also, Risoni) Barley
Pastina Yes Small spheres about the same size or smaller than acini di pepe Little pasta
Pearl Pasta No Spheres slightly larger than acini di pepe
Quadrettini No Small flat squares of pasta little squares
Risi No Smaller version of orzo little rice
Seme di melone No Small seed shaped pasta melon seeds
Stelle No Small star shaped pasta stars
Stelline No Smaller version of stelle little stars
Stortini No Smaller version of elbow macaroni Little crooked ones
Trachana No Granular, irregular shaped pasta of Greek origin

[edit] Stuffed pasta

Image Type Common? Description Translation
Agnolotti Yes Semi-circular pockets; can be stuffed with ricotta or mix of cheese and meats or pureed vegetables. Lambs' ears
Cannelloni Yes Rolls of pasta with stuff inside. Usually cooked in oven.
Mandu Yes Commonly referred as dumpling, "potsticker" or "gyoza." Stuffed with vegetables, meat, and seafood. Pronounced [Mah-n-doo]. Can be steamed, boiled, pan-fried or deep-fried.
Mantı Yes Turkish dumplings. Small squares of dough with a bit of meat put in the middle, after which the four corners are pressed together, giving a pyramidal shape. Served with yoghurt sauce and melted butter. Central Asian mantı is more like mandu.
Mezzalune No Semi-circular pockets; about 2.5 in. diameter. Half-moons
Panzarotti Yes
Pelmeni Yes Meat-filled dumplings, usually served in broth.
Pierogi Yes Dumplings filled with meat, vegetables, cheese or fruit.
Ravioli Yes Square. About 3x3cm. Stuffed with cheese, ground meat, pureed vegetables, or mixtures thereof.
Sacchettini No
Tortellini Yes Ring-shaped. Stuffed with a mixture of meat and cheese.
Tortelloni Yes Round or rectangular, similar to ravioli. Usually stuffed with a mixture of cheese and vegetables. (The term tortelloni is also used for a larger variety of tortellini.)

[edit] Irregular shapes

Image Type Common? Description Translation
Gnocchi Yes Round in shape and often made with flour plus potatoes. From the Italian gnocco, meaning "a knot in wood"
Spätzle Yes German egg pasta that is either round in shape or completely irregular, when hand made. Means "little sparrow" in German.

[edit] References