What are the types of pasta most loved by Italians?

Pasta is one of the most popular foods in the world and is consumed on all continents. There is no doubt that this food has become one of the mainstays of Italian cuisine and is known and appreciated worldwide.

Today, there are hundreds of shapes of pasta used in many different recipes, each with its own shape, size, and texture. There are also different types of pasta in terms of the type of grain used and we discussed this in depth here, and then there are those practically unknown shapes (but worth discovering).

🇮🇹 Wherever you go, that's the type of pasta you will find

The origin of the different shapes of pasta is linked to the history and culinary tradition of each region of Italy. Each shape of pasta has its own story and specific origin and owes its name to its resemblance to objects, animals, tools necessary for its production, or to anecdotes and historical figures.

🍝 Spaghetti

Spaghetti were probably invented in Sicily during the Arab period.
Some historians claim that their true inventor was Marco Polo, who supposedly brought the recipe back from Asia during his return trip to Italy.

The word "spaghetti" comes from the Latin "spago," which means "string". Spaghetti are indeed a type of long and thin pasta made from durum wheat semolina and water.

They have spread worldwide since the 19th century and are now one of the most popular pasta shapes globally. Excellent with meat, fish, or vegetable sauces, they are a must on the table of pasta lovers.

Fettuccine

Fettuccine is a type of long and thin pasta that seems to have been created in Tuscany.

The origin of the name is ambiguous; for some, it comes from the Latin "fasciulus," which means "small bundle," while others associate it with the Italian term "fettuccia," meaning "ribbon", referring to their elongated and narrow shape.

They are great with sauces based on butter or ghee (do you know it? discover what it is here) and cheese and are usually made with soft wheat flour and eggs. Thanks to their roughness and porosity, they pair perfectly with meat ragù and seafood sauces, rich and hearty sauces.

Bucatini

Bucatini is a pasta shape very popular in Rome and is often served with the sauce all'amatriciana, a sauce made of tomato, onion, guanciale, and pecorino romano.

Similar to spaghetti, they have a hollow section inside, their name indeed derives from the verb "bucare," meaning "to pierce," which makes them ideal for holding sauce and seasoning.

This pasta shape is also known as "perciatelli," depending on the region of Italy where it is consumed.

Paccheri

The paccheri are a pasta shape originating from Campania.

History tells us that this particular type of pasta was considered the pasta of the poor. Due to its cylindrical shape and very large size, only a few were needed to fill the plate to the brim.

Another peculiarity of this pasta is the origin of the name: the term comes from Greek, "pas", meaning all, and "keir," meaning hand, thus literally meaning "all hand," "handful," and refers to the exaggerated size of the cylinder. In particular, in Naples, paccheri are also called "paccari," which means "slaps", given that they have a diameter similar to that of a slap. Great with meat sauces, they become irresistible with fish.

🫅 The pasta shape of nobility

Also very curious is the story of reginette or mafaldine: flat in the center and wavy on the sides, they seem to resemble the ruffles of the crowns and lace of the dresses of Princesses Margherita and Mafalda of Savoy.

Not only that, this type of pasta is usually served to queens and princes on special occasions.

And what about strozzapreti? Invented in Emilia-Romagna during a time when there was a pressing ecclesiastical taxation on the population and an ecclesiastical life centered on earthly pleasures such as food. It is said that strozzapreti were invented by the cooks of the nuns, who named them so because they were so tasty that they made "choke" the greedy priests who ate them.

🐌 Animals and utensils

Not only anecdotes and characters, pasta shapes are also linked to their resemblance to objects and animals, like butterflies that owe their name to their form resembling the animal, or the vermicelli long and knobby like worms.

Or more simply, the pasta shape is baptized in homage to the tool used to make it, as in the case of penne, rigatoni, and fusilli.

🥇 But what are the most popular pasta shapes in the world?

As we said, the popularity of the various pasta shapes varies by country and region, but here is our personal ranking: spaghetti, fettuccine, linguine, penne, scialatielli and macaroni.

In Italy, long pasta like spaghetti, fettuccine, tagliatelle, or scialatielli typical of the Amalfi Coast is very popular, while in the United States, short pasta shapes like penne and rotini are much more common. There are truly hundreds of types of pasta, and listing them all would be a daunting task; but one thing we are sure of, whatever pasta shape you choose to bring to the table, with Spaghetti & Mandolino you will always make a great impression!

S&M