THE ORIGINS OF PASTA

Acomo Pepe

Italian for "peppercorns", they look like tiny bead-shaped pasta.



Cannelloni

Meat-filled tubes of pasta cooked in oven.



Capelli d'angelo

Angel Hair pasta - very thin pasta



Capellini

From the Latin "capelli" for "hair", capellini is very thin round pasta strands. It is only slightly thicker than angel hair, our thinnest long shape.



Conchiglie

Shells, called "conchiglie" in Italian, there are many sizes of these seashell-shaped pastas.



Cavatappi

Tubular corkscrew or spiral shaped pasta about 1-inch long, native to southern Italy.



Farfalle

"Butterflies" in Italian; medium-sized pasta with a crimped center and pinked edges to form the shape of a bow tie. Bow Ties made in the Italian style are egg-free, while some versions contain egg.



Fettucine

"Little ribbons" in Italian, this shape originated in Rome. These flat wide pasta strands are made in egg and egg-free versions. Fettuccine is classically paired with Alfredo Sauce, a rich cream sauce with Parmesan cheese.



Fusilli

Hollow corkscrew or spiral shaped pasta about 8-inches long.



Gemelli

"Twins" in Italian, this medium-sized shape resembles two short pieces of tubular spaghetti twisted together.



Gnocchi

Small dumplings made from potato and flour or from semolina.



Gomiti

Short curved tubular pasta in a semi-circle shape.



Lasagne

America's favorite baking shape, some culinary authorities think the name comes from Vulgur Latin "lasania", meaning "cooking pot". Lasagne are ripple-edged strips about 2-1/4-inches wide and 10-inches long. The dish, lasagne is layers of pasta, meat sauce and béchamel sauce.



Linguine

"Little tongues" in Italian, this narrow, flat pasta is a specialty of southern Italy. It is frequently paired with white or red clam sauce.



Mostaccioli

Italians describe mostaccioli as "little mustaches". They are diagonally cut tubular shapes similar to penne, but larger. Mostaccioli has a smooth surface; Mostaccioli Rigati has a ridged surface.



Penne Rigate

From the Latin for "feathers" (reminiscent of old-fashioned quill pens) they are diagonally cut tubular shapes with ridged surfaces.



Perciato

From southern Italian dialect "perciato" meaning "pierced through", perciatelli are fat hollow strands.



Radiatore

"Radiators" in Italian, these are short chunky ruffled shapes that add great eye appeal to any dish.



Rotelle

Corkscrew or spiral shaped pasta, about 1-1/2-inches long.



Ravioli

Pasta cushions filled with meat or spinach - spinaci



Rigatoni

Large ribbed tubes about 1-1/2-inches long.



Rotini

Corkscrew or spiral shaped pasta, about 1-1/2-inches long.



Spaghetti

From the Italian word for "strings"; these round thin strands are our most beloved pasta shape.



Tagliatelle

Thin strips of ribbon pasta.



Tortellini

Little pasta 'hats' with meat filling.



Trenette

long narrow strips of pasta



Vermicelli

From the Latin "verme" for "worms", vermicelli is round thin pasta strands that are thinner than spaghetti.



Ziti Riigati

Medium-sized tubular pasta about 2-inches long and slightly curved. This classic Southern Italian pasta means "bridegrooms"; it is often served at Sicilian weddings. Ziti Rigati has a ridged surface, while regular ziti is smooth.