Food Recipe Collections & Favorites Popular Ingredients 21 Types of Pasta Every Carb-Loving, Comfort-Food-Craver Should Know Consider this your essential guide to all the different pasta noodles and shapes you may come across. By Real Simple Editors Real Simple Editors Facebook Instagram Twitter An article attributed to "Real Simple Editors" indicates a collaborative effort from our in-house team. Sometimes, several writers and editors have contributed to an article over the years. These collaborations allow us to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information available.The REAL SIMPLE team strives to make life easier for you. They are experts in their fields who research, test and clearly explain the best recipes, strategies, trends and products. They have worked for some of the most prestigious brands in lifestyle journalism, including Apartment Therapy, Better Homes & Gardens, Food & Wine, the Food Network, Good Housekeeping, InStyle, Martha Stewart Living, O: The Oprah Magazine, Parents, POPSUGAR, Rachel Ray Every Day, and Vogue. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 3, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Any pasta lover or Italian food fanatic knows that picking the right pasta shape can elevate your good pasta recipes into great pasta dishes. (There's a reason that restaurants keep many types of pasta in stock; the perfect noodle exists for every sauce or dish.) Grocery store shelves and restaurant menus are filled with different pasta names and shapes, but there are a few basics—and a few unique kinds of pasta—that everyone should know, especially if eating pasta is a regular habit. (Once you know your preferred noodle, picking the best pasta brands is easy too.) Best Pasta Sauces Here, we list more than 20 different shapes of pasta, with pictures, a handy chart, cooking times, and best uses and sauce pairings, so you can find your perfect pasta and pair it with a dish that makes it shine. (Or, if you have a favorite pasta sauce, you can find the perfect noodle to serve it with.) Whether you're just learning how to cook pasta or you make homemade noodles, there's something to learn from our guide to tasty, irresistible pasta noodles. Types of Pasta Noodles 01 of 21 Angel Hair (or Capellini D'Angelo) Getty Images Very fine, delicate noodles.Cooking time: 3 to 5 minutes.Best for: Tossing with sauce.Ideal sauces: Light tomato, olive oil, cream, butter, seafood. 02 of 21 Elbow Macaroni Getty Images Short, C-shaped tubes.Cooking time: 6 to 8 minutes.Best for: Baked dishes, salads, soups.Ideal sauces: Cheese, butter. 03 of 21 Farfalle (Bow Ties) Getty Images Pinched in the middle to look like bow ties. (The Italian word farfalle means "butterflies.")Cooking time: 10 to 12 minutes.Best for: Tossing with sauce, salads.Ideal sauces: Cheese, olive oil, butter. 04 of 21 Fettuccine Getty Images Spaghetti-length, flat egg noodles about ¼ inch wide. (The name translates to "little ribbons.")Cooking time: 10 to 12 minutes.Best for: Tossing with sauce.Ideal sauces: Meat, cream, cheese. 05 of 21 Fusilli or Rotini Getty Images Spirals about 1½ inches long. (Fusilli means "little spindles." Rotini means "twists" or "spirals.")Cooking time: 8 to 10 minutes.Best for: Baked dishes, salads.Ideal sauces: Tomato, pesto, seafood. 06 of 21 Jumbo Shells Getty Images Large shell shapes, with a ridged exterior and a big, open cavity.Cooking time: 11 to 13 minutes.Best for: Stuffing, baked dishes.Ideal sauces: Tomato, cream. 07 of 21 Linguine Getty Images Spaghetti-length, flat noodles about 1/8 inch wide. (The word means "little tongues.")Cooking time: 10 to 12 minutes.Best for: Tossing with sauce.Ideal sauces: Tomato, pesto, olive oil, seafood. 08 of 21 Orecchiette Getty Images Small concave disk shapes. (The name means "little ears.")Cooking time: 10 to 12 minutes.Best for: Tossing with sauce.Ideal sauces: Meat, cream, seafood. 09 of 21 Orzo Getty Images Pasta in the shape of rice (or barley, from which it gets its name).Cooking time: 9 to 11 minutes.Best for: Salads, soups.Ideal sauces: Light tomato, olive oil, vinaigrette. 10 of 21 Pappardelle Getty Images Flat, long noodles about 5/8 inch long. (The name supposedly means "gulp down.")Cooking time: 7 to 10 minutes.Best for: Tossing with sauce.Ideal sauces: Tomato, meat, vegetable. 11 of 21 Penne Getty Images Small tubes 2 to 4 inches long cut on the diagonal, with or without ridges. (The name means "quills" or "feathers.")Cooking time: 10 to 12 minutes.Best for: Tossing with sauce.Ideal sauces: Chunky tomato, meat, vegetable, cream. 12 of 21 Rigatoni Getty Images Tubes about 1½ inches long and ¾ inch in diameter, with ridges. (The name means "large grooves" or "large stripes.")Cooking time: 11 to 13 minutes.Best for: Tossing with sauce, baked dishes.Ideal sauces: Chunky meat or vegetable, cream, cheese. 13 of 21 Shells Getty Images Small shell shapes with an open cavity.Cooking time: 10 to 12 minutes.Best for: Baked dishes, salads.Ideal sauces: Tomato, meat, vegetable, cream, cheese, vinaigrette. 14 of 21 Spaghetti Getty Images Thin, round strands about 10 inches long.Cooking time: 9 to 11 minutes.Best for: Tossing with sauce.Ideal sauces: Tomato, pesto, meat, seafood. 15 of 21 Ziti Getty Images Medium-width tubes 2 or more inches long, with smooth sides. (The name derives words for "bride" or "bridegroom.")Cooking time: 10 to 12 minutes.Best for: Baked dishes.Ideal sauces: Light tomato, olive oil, cream, cheese. 16 of 21 Ditalini Getty Images Short, small tubes. (Translated from Italian, ditalini means "little thimbles.")Cooking time: 8 to 10 minutes.Best for: Soups, like minestrone, because it cooks quickly.Ideal sauces: Tomato-based soups. 17 of 21 Gemelli Getty Images Gemelli is the word for "twins." Each piece looks like two thick noodle strands twisted together.Cooking time: 12 to 13 minutes.Best for: Oil-based sauces that can drizzle down the strands.Ideal sauces: Light tomato sauces, dairy-based sauces, or oil-based sauces. 18 of 21 Paccheri Getty Images A large, tubular type of pasta. The root word, pacca, means "pat" or "slap"—the sound the pasta makes when tossed with sauce.Cooking time: 7 to 10 minutes.Best for: Rich, heavier sauces or seafood. It is also commonly stuffed with ricotta cheese or other ingredients and baked.Ideal sauces: Tomato and oil-based sauces, which coat the sides in a slick layer. 19 of 21 Campanelle Getty Images A cone-shaped type of pasta noodle with ruffled edges. (Campanelle means "bells.")Cooking time: 10 to 11 minutes.Best for: Heavy, creamy sauces. The thick ruffles stand up to a heavier topping.Ideal sauces: Dairy-based sauces such as béchamel, vegetable sauces with chunky vegetables, meat sauces, fish-based sauces, or hearty tomato-based sauces. 20 of 21 Lumaconi Getty Images Lumaca is the word for "snail." Lumaconi (essentially meaning "large snails") have one side pinched closed.Cooking time: 11 to 14 minutes.Best for: Hearty sauces filled with vegetables. The pasta's hollow parts scoop them up. They can also be stuffed and served as finger foods.Ideal sauces: If stuffed, they can be served on their own. If not, try robust meat, vegetable, or tomato sauces. 21 of 21 Reginette or Mafaldine Getty Images A short or long, ruffly pasta named for the Italian princess Mafalda of Savoy. (Reginette means "little queens," and mafaldine means "little mafalde.")Cooking time: 9 to 12 minutes.Best for: Tossing with wilted greens or bacon. The shapes complement each other.Ideal sauces: Light, simple sauces, seafood sauces, or meat sauces. realsimple.com; illustrations by Melinda Josie Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit