Pasta: the ultimate comfort food, whether it’s whipped up from scratch or poured straight from a box. With its versatility and endless array of recipes, pasta has earned its spot as a beloved culinary staple worldwide. From short shapes to angel hair strands, and from stuffed parcels to baked wonders, there’s a pasta dish for every craving.

Crafted from simple ingredients such as durum wheat, water, and sometimes eggs, pasta dough is transformed into a myriad of shapes and sizes before taking a dip in a pot of boiling water. But with so many pasta varieties out there, it can be overwhelming to choose the perfect one for your meal.

Worry not! This is an assembled guide to some of the most common pasta types, complete with mouthwatering pictures and corresponding recipes to satisfy your cravings in no time. You are welcome 🙂

Linguine: Translating to “little tongues” in Italian, linguine boasts an elliptical shape and a width of around 4 millimeters. Wider than spaghetti but not as broad as fettuccine, linguine pairs perfectly with seafood, pesto, or even crispy pancetta and Brussels sprouts.

Tagliatelle: A long, ribbon-like pasta similar to fettuccine, tagliatelle is often referred to as fettuccine in Rome and Southern Italy, while Northern Italians tend to call it tagliatelle. Commonly served with rich meat sauces like bolognese, it also shines with fresh vegetables.

Pappardelle: The name pappardelle, derived from the Italian “pappare,” meaning “to gobble up,” perfectly describes this pasta’s essence. With its long, broad ribbons, pappardelle serves as an ideal base for hearty, meaty ragù sauces.

Ravioli: Featuring a filling enveloped in thin, egg-based fresh pasta dough, ravioli can be square or circular and stuffed with an array of delicious fillings, such as meat, cheese, or vegetables. A favorite variation includes a luscious butternut squash center.

Macaroni: This tubular-shaped pasta, often cut short, offers versatility in a variety of dishes, with the most famous being macaroni and cheese.

Spaghetti: A household favourite, spaghetti is a long, thin, solid, cylindrical pasta that pairs perfectly with thick sauces like tomato sauce. So beloved in the U.S., spaghetti even has its own unofficial holiday on January 4th.

Main image: e-circularcanarias.es