
Known as malloreddus in their native land of Sardinia, gnocchetti sardi is a pasta that features a small, compact shape, almost like tiny clamshells. This pasta is cut into flat, long strips and features wavy or ruffled edges, and is often served with Italian sausage or ricotta cheese.

Mafalda originated in the Molise region in Italy, and is reportedly named after Queen Malfada di Savoia, which is why the alternate name for this noodle is reginette (Italian for “little queen”). It features a twisted shape that is rolled into somewhat of an “S” shape, and is commonly served with eggplants, ricotta and seafood. It is commonly served with pork or beef, as well as ragu alla bolognese sauce.Ĭaserecce is a native of Sicily, but its popularity soon spread throughout the various regions of central and southern Italy. It is very easy to make with the help of a good pasta maker. One of the popular shapes, tagliatelle pasta comes in long, flat, ribbon-like strips, and is historically from the Marche and Emilia-Romagna regions of Italy. It originated on southern Italy ‘s Amalfi coast, and is commonly served with various types of fish and seafood sauces. Scialatelli is similar to fettucine and/or linguine in appearance, but with a shorter length. Born in Sicily and perfected all over Italy, penne is often stuffed with various fillings (e.g., spinach and ricotta) and served in a variety of tomato-based like penne all’arrabbiata, or cream-based sauces like penne alla vodka, or vegetables like in our penne alla campagnola recipe or in a veggie pasta salad. Penne pasta features a small cylindrical shape, and is one pasta varieties of the 10 most popular shapes in the world in terms of consumption volume.

In fact, the name of this type of pasta is derived from the Italian “buco,” which means “hole.” Bucatini pasta originated in the Italian regions of Naples, Liguria and Lazio, and is typically served with savory items such as pancetta, guanciale (a cured meat) in the traditional bucatini all amatriciana sauce recipe, cheese, eggs, anchovies, and sardines, and with a buttery sauce. If you can imagine a thicker version of spaghetti with a hole running through the middle, that would be bucatini pasta kind.
Shell pasta types how to#
Enjoy! Or check out our selection of Italian pasta recipes if you feel hungry right now or learn how to make pasta from scratch. Now that we’ve taken a peek on some of the theories behind the origin of pasta, let’s get to to good part, shall we? Below is an extensive list of the many different shapes commonly used in kitchens all over the world, along with some key facts about each one. THE ULTIMATE TYPES OF PASTA WITH PICTURES LIST Whichever of the stories may be true, the facts are these: pasta is one of the most beloved food in the world today, and it is indistinguishable from Italian cuisine. And that it traveled westward from there by way of nomadic Arab tribes to Europe. Many archaeologists also believe that the earliest pasta noodles were actually created in Central Asia, thousands of years before Marco Polo ever came to the region. The Roman politician Cicero, who lived from 106 to 43 BC, mentioned he had a passion for said pasta. And there was even a mention of a pasta-like dish called “laganum” or “laganas,” a known predecessor of lasagna. According to some, when the Greeks founded the city of Naples around the 3rd century BC, the natives in the area already had a dish called “macaria” made of flour made of barley and water that was dried in the sun. However, some historians believe that many shapes of pasta in Italy has been around way longer than that. Unfortunately, all these stories about the famous explorer bringing pasta to Italy relies heavily on retelling because his book’s original text has long been lost.

For many, this is how pasta in Italy came to be. This was during the 13th century and the documentation historians refer to is in his renowned book The Travels of Marco Polo. In one of the most popular theories of how pasta came to be in Italy, it is said that Marco Polo, the famous Venetian explorer, brought the noodles he found from China to Italy. But how did pasta actually came to be? PASTA: SOME BIT OF HISTORYįood that is made of flour and eggs or water and molded into strings or other shapes, a.k.a. Pasta-who doesn’t love it? When many of us think of pasta, we typically think of the more popular styles such as spaghetti, penne or linguine, but there are actually dozens of different types of pasta shapes such as curly pasta, swirly pasta, circle pasta or ball pasta, each with their own special flavor profile, culinary application and even regional origin.
