Here’s how to get your mouth around a pantry’s-worth of Italian pasta
names, and a few suggestions on how to serve it all. 

If you’re stuck in a pasta routine of bowl after bowl of plain old
spaghetti, you’re missing out. Although the flavor of pasta doesn’t
vary all that much, whether it’s a short cut or long, the way that the
shapes interact with the sauce has a big impact on the finished dish.
And as a bonus, each has an Italian name that’s fun to pronounce, and
sometimes a little funny when translated.

There are literally hundreds of different cuts out there, but it’s
common to find the same dozen or so appear again and again. If
you’re looking to get even more variety, consider seeking out pasta
made by an artisanal producer, who use heirloom grains, local flavors,
seasonal specialties, and more exotic shapes.

Click the phonetic spellings below to hear Giada pronounce pasta
names, then read on for the basics on some popular and more unusual
shapes, along with a description of the sauces they pair best with. 

Bucatini (boo-kah-TEEN-ee; “little holes”) Hailing from Rome and the
surrounding Lazio, these strands are like thick spaghetti with a small
hole running from end to end. A versatile pasta, they’re often served
simply with a red sauce, or with butter or olive oil and a bit of grated
Parmesan.

Capellini (ka-pull-EE-nee; “little hairs”) Also known as angel-hair pasta,
these long, thin noodles cook quickly and go best with light sauces that
won’t weigh them down. Think olive oil, garlic, and lemon, or a simple
tomato-basil sauce.

Casarecce (ka-sa-RAY-cheh; “homemade”) Narrow, rolled, and
twisted tubes, this pasta is as rustic as its homey name suggests. Try it
with chunky sauces or in casseroles.

Conchiglie (kohn-KEEL-yeh; “shells”) These come in various sizes,
from very large ones meant for stuffing, to very small ones, which are
called conchigliette. Shells are good with meat sauces, and the small
ones work in any dish where you’d use elbow macaroni.

Croxetti (kro-KET-tee; “little crosses”) Like coins of pasta, these disks
are stamped with different patterns. They date back to the Middle
Ages, when wealthy families had them adorned with their coats of
arms—the ultimate edible status symbol. Serve with a simple, light
sauce, or just a bit of olive oil.

Farfalle (far-FALL-eh; “butterflies”) Often called bow tie pasta, these
pretty butterfly shapes taste best with simple olive oil– or tomato-based
sauces that may incorporate ingredients such as peppers, chicken, or
arugula. They are also great for a pasta salad because the shape is
fun and bite-size.

Fettuccine (fet-too-CHEEN-eh; “little ribbons”) Similar to linguine but
thicker and wider, these noodles are suitable for many sauces, including those that are cream-based or made with meat.

Fregola Sarda (FREG-o-lah SAR-dahgola; “little Sardinian fragments”)
As the name suggests, these bead-like bits of pasta hail from Sardinia.
Similar to Israeli couscous, they are thought to have come to the island
with immigrants from the Genovese colony in Tunisia. A traditional
fregola preparation includes tomato sauce and clams.

Fusilli bucati (foo-ZEE-lee boo-CAH-tee; from the Italian for “spun”
and “hole”) Similar to fusilli, which look like corkscrews, these noodles
look more like bedsprings. They are a good choice for thick-and-hearty
sauces because all the “goodness” gets trapped inside the spiral rather
than just coating the exterior.

Gigli (GEE-lee; “lillies”) Resembling a flower, with a bell-like shape and
ruffled edges, this shape stands up best to thick sauces and the
chunky ingredients of a casserole.

Girelle (gee-REL-eh; “swivels”) This shape takes its name for its
corkscrew-like turns. Try it with ingredients that can cling to its
substantial curves, such as a pesto and vegetables. 

Gramigna (gra-MEEN-ya; “weed”) Small, grass-like curls of pasta,
these noodles cling to most ingredients. They lend themselves to light
sauces with a few small chunks of meat or sausage.

Linguine (lin-GWEE-neh; “little tongues”) These long, flat strands are
slightly curved in their cross section, like the tongues they are named
after. They stand up to sturdier sauces, such as a pesto, tomato, or
mushroom sauce, or those with flavorful ingredients, such as shellfish.

Macraoni (mak-a-ROW-neh) Most commonly used in the United
States in macaroni and cheese or pasta salads, these curved tubes
make an ideal ingredient for soups and stews, such as pasta e fagioli.

Mafalda (ma-FAL-da; named after Princess Mafalda of Savoy) These
flat, wide, ribbon-like noodles have wavy ridges that make them look a
little like narrow strips of lasagna. They go best with light, delicate
sauces that cling to their smooth sides.

Orecchiette (or-ay-KYET-tay; “little ears”) Resembling their namesake
ears, these round, curved pieces hail Southern Italy, and they are often
served with broccoli rabe and sausage.

Paccheri (pa-KER-ee; “open-handed slap”) These short, wide tubes
where said to have been invented during the Renaissance for use in
smuggling garlic across the Alps into what is now Austria. This variety
is suited to thick sauces, which cause them to make a slapping sound
when eaten.

Penne (PEN-eh; “quills”) These small tubes may be smooth or ridged
(rigate). Penne is best used in soups, pasta salads, and with thicker
sauces and casseroles because the ingredients and sauces can
penetrate the inside of the pasta. Penne rigate is ideal for meat,
vegetable, or butter-and-oil-based sauces because the ridges hold the
sauce.

Riccioli (REE-key-oh-leeiccioli; “little curls”) Short, wide, and with a
twist, these pieces stand up to chunkier ingredients like meat and
cheese.

Rigatoni (ree-gah-TOE-nee; “ridged”) This wide, ridged, tube-shaped
pasta has holes on either end that are large enough to capture pieces
of vegetables in a sauce. In addition, this kind of pasta is perfect for
baked dishes made with sauce and cheese.

Strozzapreti (strote-za-PRAY-tee; “priest chokers”) There are a few
legends about how this short, rolled pasta got its colorful name. One
says that Roman housewives who made it would “choke” the dough
with such force, it looked as if they could choke a priest. Serve it as
you would penne, with meat, vegetables, or just butter and oil.

Tagliatelle (tall-yuh-TELL-eh; from the Italian tagliere, “to cut”) A ribbon
that’s generally narrower than fettuccine, this versatile pasta lends
itself to various sauces, but is traditionally served with Bolognese or
other meaty sauces.

Trofie (TROH-fee) This short, tapered, twisted pasta from Genoa pairs
well with pesto and other simple sauces.