Healthy Cooking Columns
Pasta Shapes
There are a lot of reasons for the different shapes, and the most important is how a particular sauce will cling to whatever pasta you’re eating. The best part is that the names almost always have a meaning in Italian. Most commonly it’s what the pasta actually looks like.
Fettuccine means “little ribbons” and fettuccine is a little wider than linguine which means “little tongues.” Spaghetti which is thinner and round is named for “string.”
Farfalle |
Penne is a favorite and these little tubes resemble a feather or quill and the Italian word for the writing instrument. You’ll find both penne lisce (smooth) and the more common penne rigate (lined). Ziti are long macaroni tubes (originally ziti was 18 inches long). The word comes from zito which is Italian for bridegroom so I’ll leave the derivation of calling an 18 inch tube after a bridegroom to your imagination.
Rigatoni are also tubes but with ridges. The word comes from the verb rigare meaning to draw a line (like the ridges).
In addition to the tongues there’s a lot of other human parts. Orecchiette are little ears, cappelletti look like little hats and capellini is known as angel hair pasta.
Here’s some others but there’s dozens and dozens more shapes. If you have a favorite that’s not included, do send them in and we’ll add them to the list.
Pasta Name | Meaning |
Orzo | Barley |
Fusilli | Corkscrew |
Farfalle | Butterfly |
Vermicelli | Little worms |
Ruote | Wheels |
Radatori | Radiators |
Lumache | Snails |
Gigli | Lily |
Gemelli | Twins |
Riso | Rice |
Campanelle | Bells |
Ditalini | Little thimbles |
Rocchetti | Spool |
Riccioli | Curl |
Rotini | Spiral |
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