Pasta Mix

Italian Long Pasta Shapes


While bead-like Fregola Sarda may predate all other Italian dried pasta, it was not a production product. Pasta production began in Sicily some time before 1150 CE, and really took off in Naples some time later. The climate and breezes at Naples was just right for air drying pasta on a large scale. Simple long forms, mainly spaghetti and vermicelli, totally dominated because they could be hung out to dry efficiently, dies for these shapes were easy to make, and they could be handled by the primitive person powered pasta extrusion machines available at the time.

Today, with modern extrusion and drying equipment, there are many more long shapes, and though short shapes now outnumber them 10 to 1, a number of long shapes continue to be very popular. Those with photos on this page were all purchased in Los Angeles, California.

CG Home

Pasta mix
Italian Pasta

logo
Ingredients

SEARCH
Search
CloveGarden


SAFARI
Users


Angel Hair

- This is pretty much the same thing as Capellini, the smallest member of the spaghetti family.

Bucatini

  -   [024; Hollow Spaghetti]
Bucatini 024 This popular pasta is thicker than spaghetti, but it cooks well because it is hollow. Moisture doesn't have to penetrate all the way to the center because there is no center. The photo specimens were 10 inches long and 0.110 inch diameter.

Candele

  -   [244 (Bronze die); Candles]
Candele 244 Basically, these are oversize Ziti. One use for these is to stuff with whole asparagus spears, then layer in a casserole with sauce and cheese. They can be stuffed with other stuffings by use of a pastry pipe. Of course, they can also be served unstuffed with a sauce, still usually baked in a casserole. There is also a Candella Penne version with diagonally cut ends. The photo specimens were 9.5 inches long and 0.58 inch diameter.

Capelli d'Angelo Nests

  -   [281, Barbine a nido]
Capelli d'Angelo Nests 281

These pasta nests are quite popular. They are often cooked, then set on a plate with a cheese sauce poured over, or they may be dropped into a small bowl with sauce over. The photo specimen was 2.5 inches diameter and 1.0 inch high, made up of pasta 0.40 inch diameter.

Capellini

  -   [036]
Capellini 036 This is the thinnest member of the spaghetti family, die #1 in most systems. The photo specimens were 10.15 inches long and 0.040 inch diameter but some manufacturers go as low as 0.035 inch.

Ciriole

  -   [038]
Made in Umbria by twisting and stretching a ribbon of pasta until it's about twice as thick as Spaghetti. You're not likely to find it anywhere far from Umbria.

Fedelini

  -   [043; Fidelini, Trenette]
Fedelini 043

Similar to Spaghetti but thinner, 0.055 inch diameter.

Ferretto Calabro

  -   [300]
Ferretto Calabro 300 This pasta has the same "S" shaped cross section as Casaricci but is much smaller in width and thickness. It is also a lot longer, being the full pasta length of 42 inches folded to 21.5 inches long. It is 0.31 inch wide and 0.17 inch thick. As with Casaricci, this form is very good at holding moderately thick sauces.

Fettuccini

  -   [015; Lasagnette, Fettucce, Tagliatelle]
Fettuccini 015

This is probably the most popular of the wider ribbon pastas, and holds medium to heavy meat sauces well. It needs a bit more care than linguini at the start of cooking because it has a tendency to stick together until the water is back up to a boil.

There is no definitive difference between Fettuccini and Tagliatelle, and both can vary greatly in width. In North American practice, "Fettuccini" more often implies dried pasta, while "Tagliatelle" more often implies fresh pasta. The photo specimens were 10.2 inches long, 0.180 inch wide and 0.045 inch thick.

Fettuccini Nests

  -   [320; Tagliatelle]
Fettuccini Nests 320

This flat ribbon pasta is sold also as "nests". There is no definitive difference between Fettuccini and Tagliatelle. The photo specimens were 0.26 inch wide and 0.035 inch thick. They were labeled "Tagliatelle", but were actually narrower than nests from other makers labeled "Fettuccini", so width is not definitive. Waverly Root holds they are the same thing, with "Fettuccini" the Roman name and "Tagliatelli" used elsewhere. Fettuccini is usually used with heavier meat sauces.

Fusilli Bucati Lunghi

  -   [026; Fusilli col Buco, Long Springs]
Fusilli Bucati Lunghi 026

These consist of a long hollow pasta, similar to bucatini, wrapped in the manner of a coil spring. The photo specimens were made from 0.115 inch diameter tube, wound to 0.27 inch diameter spirals 9 inches long (or more than twice that if you measure around the loop, but the loop will be broken in many cases).

Lasagne

  -   [044]
Lasagne 044 This is the fancy version, strongly ridged with ruffles on both sides. Other versions are made, including flat, ridged without ruffles and ruffles on just one side. Lasagne is often made fresh, in which case it will be flat without ridges or ruffles. The photo specimens were 10 inches long, 2 inches wide and with a wall thickness of 0.048 inch, but it may be considerably wider (up to 4"). It is used mainly to make a casserole called "lasagne al forno" in Italy and in the U.S. just "lasagne". There are also "no boil" versions which don't require pre-cooking. It appears the Romans prepared a dish similar to lasagne but with fresh pasta rather than dry (and no ruffles), and possibly the Greeks before them.

Lasagne

  -   [258 (bronze die)]
Lasagne 258 This is as fancy as lasagne gets, strongly ridged, with ruffles on both sides, and extruded through bronze dies for better sauce adhesion. The photo specimens were 11 inches long, 2.13 inches wide and with a wall thickness of 0.045 inch.

Lasagnette

  -   [108]
Lasagnette 108 This pasta may be cut short, as in the photo, or be around 11 inches long. It also comes in the same three styles as Lasagne: ruffles both edges, ruffles one edge, and no ruffles. Long ones can be used similarly to regular lasagne, and short cuts are decorative served with pesto. I have not yet obtained them in Italian, so the photo specimens (#233) are Polish, made from bread flour but using a standard Italian die. The main visual difference would be color. These were typically 0.032 inch thick, 0.75 inch wide and 1.5 inches long.

Lasagnotte


Same as Lasagnette except in lengths longer than the standard 10".

Lingue de Suocera

  -   [121; Mother-in-law tongues]
Lingue de Suocera 121

This is a multicolor pasta from Puglia. It is fairly wide, has sharp saw tooth edges and it is twisted. Dried, it is available commercially, at an extremely high price, often over US $20 per pound. The photo fragment is © Foodiva's Kitchen where Maya provides complete instructions on how to make this at home - if you dare.

Linguine

  -   [023; Linguini, Linguelline, Bavette fino, Bavettine, Linguittine, Radichini]
Linguine 023s

This is one of the most popular long pastas in Italy and in North America, and certainly one of mine. It cooks fairly quickly and holds sauces better than spaghetti due to its flattened oval shape. Generally about 10-1/2 inches long, 0.090 inch wide and 0.045 inch thick.

Mafalde

  -   [046]
A long ribbon or short pasta with ruffled edges, same as Mafaldine but larger.

Mafaldine

  -   [045]
Mafaldine 045 A long ribbon pasta with ruffled edges. It is pretty much identical to Riccia. The photo specimens were 0.48 inch wide by 9.2 inches long. Can be used like a mini lasagne in a casserole or eaten with sauce on a plate.

Mezzanelli

  -   [282]
Mezzanelli 282 This long hollow pasta is just like Bucatini except larger in diameter, and identical to #333 Regine. The photo specimens were 10.0 inches long and 0.175 inch diameter. This is not an easy pasta to find, but the larger size of Greek Pastichio is exactly this size (the smaller is the same size as bucatini).

Mezzanini

  -   [322 bronze]
Mezzanini 322 This long hollow pasta is similar to 282 Mezzanelli except about twice the diameter The photo specimens, extruded through bronze dies, were 20.5 inches long and 0.34 inch diameter.

Ondine

  -   [335]
Ondine 335 These corrigated sheets of pasta are meant for easy production of recipes such as lasagne. They ar 7 by 6-1/4 inches and 0.030 inch thick. The package comes with two fitted aluminum pans. They are designed not to need pre-cooking, just soak a few minutes in warm water, then assemble with the sauce. Ingred: enriched semonlina.

Pappardelle

  -   [283 bronze die]
Pappardelle 283 This is a wide flat ribbon pasta generally served with meaty sauces. The photo specimens, extruded through bronze dies, were 44 inches long folded in drying to 21.2 inches. Width was 0.52 inch and thickness 0.050 inch. This shape is often made fresh.

Pappardelle Nests


A wide flat ribbon pasta generally served with meaty sauces. The "nest" version is exceptionally wide at 1.125". This shape is often made fresh.

Perciatelli

  -   [124]
Perciatelli 124 These hollow tubes are very similar to Bucatini, but just a little larger diameter. They are about 0.115 inch diameter and 10 inches long.

Pizzoccheri


Flat ribbon noodles similar in form to tagliatelle but made with 80% buckwheat and 20% wheat flour. These are popular in the Alpine region of northern Italy where buckwheat grows much better than durum wheat.

Regine

  -   [333]
Identical to Mezzanelli, tubular, 10 inches long and 0.175 inch diameter.

Reginelle

  -   [102; Reginette]
A wide ribbon pasta with ruffled edges.

Riccia

  -   [107]
Very similar or identical to Mafaldine, about 1/2 inch wide and is sometimes ruffled on one edge only instead of both edges.

Ricciolini

  -   [093; Riccioline, Sfresatine, Manfredine, Fettuccia riccia]
Similar to Tagliatella, but wider at about 0.59 inch.

Spaghetti

  -   [040]
Spaghetti 040 Once practically the only form for dried pasta due to manufacturing considerations, spaghetti is still quite popular, particularly in North America. Personally, I prefer linguini, but use spaghetti for recipes where it is traditional. The photo specimens were 10.15 inches long and 0.075 inch diameter.

Spaghetti alla Chitarra

  -   [037]
Spaghetti alla Chitarra 037

This pasta resembles regular spaghetti and is about the same size but square in cross section. Traditionally it is cut from rolled out dough by doing a final roll across a wooden box , the top of which tightly strung with wires - the Guitar / Chitarra. In Italy this is most often fresh pasta, but it is available dried. The photo specimens were 0.080 inch square by 42 inches long, folded to 21 inches. Many pasta machines make spaghetti in this form.

Spaghetti Lunghi

  -   [284]
Spaghetti Lunghi 284 This is exactly the same as regular Spaghetti, but much longer. Those I had on hand were 21 inches long and 0.075 inch diameter.

Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia

  -   [285; Spaghetti with Squid Ink]
Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia 285

This is spaghetti dyed black with squid ink, In the case of the photo specimen in is int "lunghi" form. 21 inches, or 42 if you count both sides of the fold. 0.73 inch diameter. Ingred: durum semolina, cuttlefish ink 2%.

Spaghettine

  -   [347 Broze Die]
Spaghettine 347 This pasta is much like Linguine, but a little wider and thicker. The photo specimens were 21.5 inches long, 0.111 wide and 0.053 inch thick.

Spaghettini

  -   [014]
Spaghettini 014 This pasta is much like spaghetti, but a little thinner. The photo specimens were 10.2 inches long and 0.065 inch diameter.

Spaghettoni

  -   [192]
Spaghettoni 192 This pasta is much like spaghetti, but a little thicker. The photo specimens were 10.2 inches long and 0.083 inch diameter, almost exactly the same as De Cecco has given for Vermicelli.

Stringozzi

  -   [089]
A specialty of Umbria in central Italy, this is a long thin pasta with a square cross section and a rough texture that is generally sold fresh. It's a little thicker than regular spaghetti but pretty much identical to Spaghetti alla Chitarra.

Tagliatelle

  -   [049; Tagliarelli, Reginelle, Fresine, Nastri, Fettuccelle, Fettucce romane, Fiadi]
Tagliatelle 049

This very important flat ribbon pasta is rarely sold under this name in North America. There is no definitive difference between Tagliatelle and Fettuccini, but in North American practice, "Tagliatelle" more often implies pasta made fresh, while "Fettuccini" more often implies dried pasta. The photo specimens were 0.26 inch wide and 0.035 inch thick. They were labeled "Tagliatelle", but were actually narrower than nests from other makers labeled "Fettuccini", so width is not definitive. Waverly Root holds they are the same thing, with "Fettuccini" the Roman name and "Tagliatelli" used elsewhere. Tagliatelle is usually used with heavier meat sauces.

Taglierini

  -   [052; Tagliolini]
The smallest pasta in the Tagliatelle family, a flat ribbon pasta a little larger than Spaghetti. It is generally made fresh.

Trenette

  -   [050; Trinette]
A flat ribbon pasta smaller than Linguini.

Tripoline

  -   [105]
Tripoline 105 This is a long ribbon pasta with ruffles on one edge only. The photo specimens were 0.300 inch wide, 9.5 inches long and 0.42 inches thick. Unlike unruffled flat pasta strips these are unlikely to stick together during the early stages of cooking.

Vermicelli

  -   [039; "Little Worms"]
Vermicelli 039 This is one of the very first Italian pastas, already being mde in Sicily before 1150 CE. It is much like spaghetti, but a little thicker. Unfortunately there is confusion because in the USA, the National Pasta Association defines it as thinner than spaghetti. This is pretty much a moot point, since I've never seen any Italian type pasta sold as "Vermicelli" here in California. Consequently, the photo specimens were from a package labeled "Spaghettoni", and were exactly the same thickness given by De Cecco for Italian "Vermicelli". They were 10.2 inches long and 0.083 inch diameter. Since Vermicelli is often called for in Italian recipes, I consider the Italian dimension definitive, with Spaghettoni the appropriate substitute.

From his travels, Marco Polo described Asian noodles as being "like vermicelli", a pasta already long popular in Italy. This has compounded the confusion, because ever since then "vermicelli" has been used as a loan word when translating local noodle names to English - From Anatolia and Caucasus all the way through China and Southeast Asia. The products so named are usually, though not always, considerabley thinner than spaghetti.

Vermicellini

  -   [293]
Thin vermicelli - very much like spaghetti, but just a shade thiner at 0.70 inch diameter. Often used with a light sauce based on olive oil, garlic and hot chili, accompanying seafood.

Vermicelloni

  -   [041]
Vermicelloni 041 Apparently the "oni" refers to the length, not the thickness, because the photo specimens, extruded through bronze dies, were .083 inch diameter, exactly the same as De Cecco lists for vermicelli, but were 20.75 inches long. This is a rare pasta but I found some at an Italian market in Los Angeles, wrapped up in the traditional blue paper that's not much seen anymore.

Zita

  -   [052; Ziti, Bridegrooms]
Zita 052 This smooth, tubular pasta with straight cut ends is the long form of Ziti, but is sometimes called "Ziti". They are often partially boiled, then included with sauce in a casserole to be baked. The photo specimens were 0.31 inch diameter and 10 inches long.

pa_itall 13-01-17   -   www.clovegarden.com
©Andrew Grygus - agryg@clovegarden.com - Photos on this page not otherwise credited are © cg1 - Linking to and non-commercial use of this page permitted