What is spiral pasta?

This spiral-shaped pasta goes by a few names, including cellentani and serpentini, but you’ll likely see it packaged and sold as cavatappi (which means “corkscrew” in Italian). This pasta’s unique shape, ridges and bite-size proportion make it extremely versatile.

What is a pasta shape?

The Pastina Shape. There's no standard "pastina" pasta shape, but rather it's a general term for any small shaped pasta. Pastina can be shaped like little stars, little tubes or even little macaroni noodles or tiny shells. Though it's called "pastina" most commonly in the United States, you may also find it called "pastini" or even "pastine".

What is elbow pasta?

In Italy, you might see these elbow-shaped pasta referred to as maccheroni, but stateside we spell this pasta macaroni. Whatever you call this pasta, it’s most commonly used in dishes like macaroni and cheese here in the US, though you’ll also see it used in pasta salads, stirred into soups or served with chili.

What is pappardelle pasta?

Hailing from the central-southern region of Tuscany in Italy, pappardelle is flat, ribbon-style pasta that is cut into a very broad shape, not unlike wide fettuccine. Pappardelle is among the types of pasta that is an excellent match for a wide range of sauces, from meat to shellfish to vegetables.