17 Delicious Types of Pasta That Would Satisfy Your Taste Buds

Which is your favorite food? Indian, Continental, Italian, or Thai? No matter what, if you are a foodie, you can eat anything and anytime. Foodies can never go wrong with their choice. Right from hosting a kid’s birthday party or dinner treat, some dishes are crowd-pleasers and are mandatory to be added to the menu. One amongst them is pasta. It has endless combinations and flavors.

It is a popular Italian dish and differs from the types of noodles from around the world. Made from an unleavened dough of semolina flour and water, pasta is one of the finest cuisines in the world. It is not only available at restaurants but can be easily made at home. Do you know there are over 600 types of pasta available? They come in different colors, shapes, and sizes.

When you think of cooking pasta, choosing a particular type is difficult. Each of the types of pasta has unique qualities, cooking methods, and accompanying sauces. Pasta is a great addition to any meal.

Pasta is loved by people of all ages. It makes for a great combination with sauce and noodles. There is no definite way to make pasta. Add your favorite ingredients to make it tastier. You would be surprised to know that several regular dishes, including pasta, are eaten in different styles in other countries.

Starting from popular Farfalle to Spaghetti, we have covered it all. Know the different types of pasta and how they differ from each other.

Various Types of Pasta That Are So Mouth Watering You Would Want to Try Now

1. Bow Ties (Farfalle)

Farfalle or bow tie pasta comes in several sizes. Farfalle is versatile and makes a great combination with tomatoes based or cream sauces. It is made by cutting the pasta into small rectangles and then joining the centers together to form a bow shape.

Bow Tie shaped pasta also works well with salads and soups. However, they are commonly served with chicken or grilled lean meats. Its shape is amazing and loved by kids. Also, it comes in a variety of flavors like spinach, tomato, and more.

So, if you are throwing a party at your kid’s birthday, try this farfalle pasta with other recipes. Also, you can take help with this guide to turn healthy food into your kid's favorite cartoon characters.

Fun fact: Do you know Farfalle means butterflies in Italian, so it is also called butterfly pasta?

2. Spaghetti

Spaghetti is the most common pasta tasted around the world. It a traditional Italian cuisine and come in a long cylindrical shape. It is made of milled wheat and is rich in vitamins and minerals. Spaghetti is normally served with meat and tomato sauce.

Common recipes of spaghetti include Spaghetti Pesto, Spaghetti Creamy Parmesan with Bacon, and more. A cup of cooked spaghetti contains between 40-45 grams of carbs, depending on what it is made of whole-grain or refined flour. Spaghetti is around 10 inches long and gets cooked in 8-10 minutes. It pairs great with a multitude of flavors.

3. Angel Hair

Also known as fine hair or capellini, Angel hair pasta is another most common type of pasta eaten worldwide. It is a long and thin noodle in a round shape. It resembles spaghetti but is much finer than it.

Angel's hair is best served with seafood, such as scallops. It is sometimes used as a substitute to Spaghetti in several recipes.

It is cooked in 5 minutes and keeps you full for long hours. Angel's hair is enriched in vitamin B and iron.

Have you tried making any dish with Angel Hair? How did it taste?

4. Rotini

Rotini means spiral. These small and medium-sized spirals taste great when baked in casseroles. Rotini pasta is majorly used in pasta salads or tomato-based sauces. It gets cooked in 5-10 minutes and served with seafood.

Varieties of recipes can be made with Rotini pasta. Try rotini with broccoli and add a complementary flavor of garlic to make it more delicious. Rotini looks similar to Fusilli. But the difference is Rotini is flat pasta, whereas Fusilli is twisted into a spring-like shape.

Many people find Rotini as a substitute for Fusilli or vice versa. So, the next time you order Rotini in a restaurant and are served with Fusilli, don’t get surprised.

5. Orecchiette

Orecchiette means little ears. These types of pasta are shaped like ears and look perfect for collecting sauce. Orecchiette resembles cartoon ears and is best used with thicker sauces and juicy ingredients like sausage.

No matter how you prepare this cute pasta, you will be left with a delicious taste for a perfect weekend party. Popular recipes with this pasta are Tuscan Kale with Orecchiette and Ona-Pan Orecchiette.

When you try to prepare a dish with Orecchiette, don’t forget to keep the extra sauce in the bowl. People love Orecchiette with white sauce and cream.

6. Ravioli

These amazing square pillows have some stuffing between two layers of dough. Traditionally made at home, the stuffing in Ravioli varies with country.

If you go to Rome, you will be served Ravioli with the stuffing of spinach, black pepper, cheese, and nutmeg. In Italy, it is filled with lemon grid and ricotta.

Ravioli can be bought in different shapes like semi-circular and circular. Try different recipes of Ravioli and serve it with sauce or in broth for an exotic taste.

7. Fettuccine

Fettuccine is like ribbons and is made of eggs and flour. Sometimes it is added as a substitute to Tagliatelle but is a little wider. It is eaten with chicken or beef.

Fettuccine is a popular pasta in Tuscan and Roman. It can be cooked within 10-15 minutes. These flat ribbons of pasta can hold thicker sauces and vegetables.

The most common dish made with this pasta is Fettuccine Alfredo that consists of butter and fettuccine tossed with cheese. It is usually prepared fresh, but dried Fettuccine is also now available in stores. You can also add other ingredients like garlic, onion, and chili to make it tastier.

8. Cannelloni

Cannelloni is translated as large reeds. They are cylindrical and are served baked with a filling. They are then covered with sauce. Because of its large size, the Cannelloni is a perfect pasta for stuffing. This large tube-shaped pasta is prepared fresh and is stuffed with ricotta, beef, and spinach.

When are you trying this delicious Cannelloni pasta? Don’t forget to invite your friends and to impress them with your cooking skills. Alternatively, you can also do the stuffing of vegetables or anything that you like to eat.

9. Linguine

Linguine size is somewhere between spaghetti and fettuccine. It is usually used with seafood dishes and clam-based sauces.

Linguine means little tongues. Linguine originated in Genoa and is available in whole-wheat and white flour variety. It is best known for its versatility.

It tastes great with tomato and cream-based sauces. Popular recipes of linguine are Avocado Pesto Linguine and Linguine with Herbed Clam Sauce.

10. Gnocchi

Gnocchi is soft dumplings made of egg, flour, and potato. The dough is cut into small pieces and then pressed with a fork to make ridges to hold sauces. It is eaten in the main course but can also be served as a side dish.

It includes flavorings of vegetables, cocoa, and varieties of herbs. It is high in carbohydrates and low in calories. Nearly 2 ounce of Gnocchi contains 20 grams of carbs and is considered beneficial for athletes.

11. Vermicelli

Vermicelli means little worms. It is made of rice flour and tastes delicious with seafood. It is slightly thicker than spaghetti and prepared in several ways. It can be prepared with vegetables and can be added to sweet dishes to make it a little sweet.

Vermicelli is used in soups and is available dried or fresh. It is a great source of carbohydrates and has a small amount of fat. Try this type of pasta in the salad, soups, or as a main meal.

12. Pappardelle

Pappardelle is flat pasta noodles. It resembles Fettuccine but is wider to hold sauces. It is usually 5 inches long and can be cooked within 6-10 minutes.

Having Tuscan origins, this type of pasta is usually served with meat sauces but can also be served with ragu. Its name is derived from the word ‘pappare’ that translates to gobble up.

The dried pappardelle has straight slides, whereas fresh has fluted edges. Common recipes with Pappardelle are Pork Bolognese and Pappardelle Pomodoro.

13. Lasagna

Pasta having flat sheets and ridged edges are referred to as Lasagne. It is one of the oldest pasta that is wide in shape. It is made with layers of lasagne with different sauces and ingredients like cheese and meat. It is sometimes topped with melted cheese.

This traditional pasta is prepared with a dough of semolina and water. When semolina is not available, eggs and flour can be used. In Italy, only a particular type of wheat is allowed for pasta (commercial), i.e., durum wheat.

So, the lasagna is prepared from semolina from durum wheat. The smaller version of Lasagne is Lasagnette. It can be served in two ways: by tossing the pasta with spices or by keeping as layers and filling ingredients in between.

Which version of Lasagnette do you prefer?

14. Bucatini

Bucatini, or better known as perciatelli, is a common dish throughout Rome. Its name is originated from the Italian word Buco that translates into a hole.

Bucatini resembles spaghetti but has a hole in the center. It is 10-12 inches long and can be cooked within 8-10 minutes.

Bucatini is served with bacon, buttery sauces, sardines, and vegetables. It is sometimes known as tubed shaped pasta made from durum wheat flour and water.

15. Pastina

Acini de Pepe translates into small parts of the pepper. It is available in a variety of shapes and the smallest type of pasta that can be produced. It is used in broth soups in Italian and Turkish cuisine.

Due to its small size, Pastinais added in a variety of dishes. It is used as a sprinkler on dishes, added in soup, and served plain with light topping with butter or olive oil.

16. Rogotini

Rogotini is a medium-sized tube of pasta with flat ends. It is larger than penne and ziti and a little curved. It has square ends and can be cooked within 10-15 minutes. The hollow space in pasta holds sauces of different flavors. It is a favorite pasta shape in Italy.

17. Macaroni

Made with durum wheat, Macaroni is one of the most preferred types of pasta worldwide. It is usually elbow-shaped and cut in short lengths.

Macaroni is prepared in different styles, but the most common is Mac n Cheese that you can binge on anytime. It is a crowd-pleaser and tastes perfect with creamy sauces. Macaroni is best used for salads, soups, and baked dishes.

If you love cooking, try different Macaroni recipes and satisfy all your pasta cravings.

Final Words

Pasta is not a new food; it is eaten from medieval times. Also, know other delicious foods that were favorite of people living in medieval times.

If you don’t have time to cook pasta, microwave it for 5-7 minutes with cold water and your pasta is ready to eat. You can also try these food hacks to make your cooking life easier.

How many types of pasta have you tasted? Which one is your favorite? Also, don’t forget to share a pasta recipe that you tried for a weekend party. Do you know more exotic pasta recipes that can be prepared at home and takes no time? Other than pasta, which Italian dish do you like the most? Mine is pizza, what is yours?