Italian food is one of the richest in the Mediterranean and among its enormous gastronomy, pizzas and pastas stand out especially. The influence of these two meals reaches almost every corner of the world, since we would hardly imagine a life without eating a good plate of pasta or having pizza with friends from time to time.
In the case of pasta, there is a great variety. Even so, not all of them are used to cook any dish, since each one of them has its particular characteristics that make it more suitable for certain preparations. If you want to know 27 types of Italian pasta, their names and photos, at oneHOWTO we encourage you to continue reading this article.
Types of long pasta
Between the different types of italian pasta that exist, long pasta They are among the best known and most consumed. At oneHOWTO we help you to differentiate them through the following list:
Spaghetti
It is one of the most popular pasta. They are a type of elongated and rounded pasta and can be combined in many ways, although with Bolognese sauce they are delicious and it is one of the most typical recipes.
Here is a recipe to learn how to make spaghetti bolognese. If you want a recipe somewhat different from the traditional one, we encourage you to know How to make green spaghetti with poblano chili and cream.
Noodles
It is a paste that is also well known, but its cut or section is flat and has a width of 7 or 8 mm. They are combined with different sauces, but carbonara and bolognese are ideal for making a plate of noodles.
In this link you will see How to cook noodles Bolognese and here How to make noodles with boletus sauce.
Vermicelli
It is very similar to spaghetti, but it is considered a long and thin pasta because it is less thick than these. One of the most used sauces to accompany them is Alfredo. Here we show you the recipe with which you will learn How to make Alfredo sauce.
Pappardelle
It is a thick and wider pasta than noodles, but just as flat. It reaches a width measurement of 2.5 cm. It is usually eaten with the same type of sauces as noodles, so choosing one or the other is usually more for your own taste, if you prefer something thicker or less and the cooking time that we want to invest.
Fettuccine
It is a flat and elongated paste that has a width of 6 mm. You can taste it with a variety of sauces, but at UNCOMO we recommend that you eat it with a mushroom or boletus sauce, such as those used for dishes such as risotto, since they combine perfectly.
Ziti
It is a pasta similar to spaghetti, but it has holes in the central part, so it is a tubular pasta and is longer than macaroni or pennes but shorter than spaghetti, being itself long or medium in size. It is also lighter and takes less time to cook.
Capelli d’angelo
They are known in Spanish as angel hair pasta and it is a fine and thin pasta. Highly recommended if you don’t have a lot of time to cook, since in 3 minutes you will have it cooked. It is an ideal paste for preparing consommés and soups.
In addition to the particularly recommended sauces, in general long pasta is perfect to eat with practically any sauce you like. If it is dry pasta, choose to cook it separately from the sauce and finally mix both parts. Likewise, we recommend that in the case of using long pasta for stews and soups, choose the thin and crushed ones because the rest do not combine well for these preparations.
In this image you can see some of these types of long pasta and others.
Tape paste
Other type of italian pasta is the tape. It acquires this name because of the shape it has, which is elongated and flat, which is why they also fall into the category of long pasta, but they are also more or less wide and flattened. These are the ribbon pastes most outstanding:
Tagliatelle
It is the most popular pasta among the ribbon ones. Derived from the verb ‘tagliare’, whose meaning in Italian is to cut. The tapes of this paste are between 8 mm and 1 cm wide. Traditionally, tagliatelle come from Bologna and are sold in coiled nests, which are unrolled during cooking.
Fettucce
It is an elongated paste that takes the shape of a ribbon and ranges between 0.8 and 1.4 cm in width. It is a fresh egg pasta of great quality when kneaded by hand. You can eat it with prawns and chillies or with a variety of soft sauces.
Tagliolini
It is one of the narrowest ribbon pastes, much more than tagliatelle for example. Ideal for serving with vegetable broths and sauces containing blue cheese.
Besides being long pasta, fettuccine and pappardelle also belong to this group of ribbon pasta.
Short pasta
If you want to eat a plate of pasta, you also have the alternative of the typical short pasta. The most popular in Spain and many other countries are macaroni, but at oneHOWTO we help you learn more varieties.
Macaroni or penne
They are made with wheat flour and water. Some also have an egg in their composition. They have a short tube shape that characterizes them. They can be eaten with a great multitude of sauces, such as Bolognese, Carbonara, Siciliana or Amatriciana.
In these recipes you will learn How to make macaroni bolognese, How to make macaroni carbonara and How to make macaroni with tuna.
Penne rigate
It is a slightly larger pasta than macaroni. It has serrations and the ends are cut obliquely. You can eat the penne rigate with the same sauces as the macaroni, with a 4-cheese sauce or with cheese tacos and also in salads with tomato.
Rigatoni
It is a short pasta shaped like a tube and larger than penne rigate. On the outside it has thin, parallel grooves, with the ends cut straight. Rigatoni are especially tasty with meat and your favorite sauce.
Fusilli
In Spain they are known as screws or spirals. It is a short and helical pasta, with a spiral shape and 4 cm in surface. To eat them, at UNCOMO we recommend that you add it to summer salads.
Elbows or pippette
They are tube-shaped but curved or semicircular. You can make them in dishes sautéed with cheese and butter, although they are also widely used in soups.
Radiatore
Its name corresponds to the radiator shape it has. This pasta is short, thick and with lines and the sauce with which it combines best is that of mushrooms.
Cresti di gallo
It is a pasta made with soft grain flour, hard grain semolina and fresh pasteurized egg. It is very quick to cook (about 4 minutes of cooking) and is a very interesting option for gratins and salads.
In this first photo you can see more short pasta and with different shapes. In addition, in the following images you will see a photo of each of the types of pasta mentioned in this section.
Types of stuffed Italian pasta
To know all the types of pasta originating in Italy, you should also talk about the stuffed pasta. These are the main ones:
Ravioli
It is the most popular filled pasta. Shaped like a square packet, it has two sheets sealed with water and egg. The ravioli filling can be meat, cheese, seafood or vegetables, mainly spinach.
Tortellini
Tortellini are shaped like thick rings. In general they are filled with meat, but you can also include cheese, spinach and other ingredients. You can eat them with sauces, creams or meat broth. Click here to see How to Make Raisin Spinach Ricotta Tortellini.
Gnocchi
It is a pasta made with flour, potatoes and cheese, although according to some recipes it can also be made with breadcrumbs. They are taken as a main or sole dish and are combined with a variety of sauces. Here you can learn how to make gnocchi.
Tortelloni
They are very similar to tortellini, but larger. One of the most typical fillings for this pasta is spinach and cottage cheese.
Cappelletti
Shaped like a hat, they are made from squares or circles folded at the ends and with varied fillings. It is a perfect pasta to eat in broths and soups, as a single or main dish.
Panzerotti
It is a crescent-shaped pasta and its filling does not contain meat, but always contains only cheeses.
Agnolotti
Half-moon shaped pasta with square edges and filled with braised or roasted meat. It pairs perfectly with basil and ricotta cheese.
Manicotti
They are cylindrical in shape and the ends are not sealed, so they look like gutters. They are filled with meat and cheese or spinach. They are eaten cooked in the oven and covered with the sauce that you like the most.
We encourage you to read this other oneHOWTO article about Fillings for fresh pasta.
Other forms of Italian pasta
Throughout the article you will have discovered the main forms of Italian pasta: long, short, ribbon and filled. Still, there are more types, some of which are these:
Leaf paste
The lasagna is the best known pasta in leaf or foil shape. These are slices that interspersed with different ingredients (from vegetables to fish and meat). In its preparation, it is essential to add bechamel and grated cheese so that it is well gratinated in the oven.
Here…