Get ready to delight your tastebuds on World Pasta Day on October 25! There are roughly 350 different types of pasta, and this October food day is the perfect excuse to try one you hadn’t before.
Keep reading to learn about twenty of the most popular types of pasta and their best sauce pairings. There will be information on their differences, when to use them.
We have also included a list of 35 pasta recipes. There’s one pot recipes, 30 minute meals, as well as recipes suited for everyone from meaty pasta enthusiasts to vegans!
Plus, we will go over the history of World Pasta Day, which is a national food day dedicated to all types of pasta!
National days like World Pasta Day are a fun way to celebrate foods, animals and items that you come into contact with. Be sure to check out this national days guide for more information about them.
History of World Pasta Day
World Pasta Day is one of the many national days of the year dedicated the different types of pasta. Some of these days are dedicated to specific types of pasta like National Spaghetti Day, and others are dedicated to all pasta, like National Pasta Day.
While the origin of pasta itself dates back to thousands of years, World Pasta Day is a more recent development. It was created in 1995, by the World Pasta Congress in Rome.
World Pasta Day was created to promote worldwide pasta consumption by emphasizing pasta’s delicious taste, health benefits, as well as its convenience and versatility in cooking.
Learn about the types of pasta for World Pasta Day
Even though there are 350 types of pasta, most fit into a few categories. There are long pastas, short pastas and stuffed pastas. Below are some of our favorites!
Stuffed pasta types: Agnolotti vs ravioli vs tortellini
All three of these types of pasta are stuffed and sealed, like a dumpling. However, there are differences between each one, the most noticeable of which is their shape.
Ravioli are usually square, but they can be made in a circular shape too. To make ravioli two sheets of thinly rolled dough are sealed around a filling, and then cut with a pasta cutter.
They are typically filled with spinach and cheese, or just plain cheese. Ravioli are often served with a Pomodoro sauce, or a butter and herb based sauce.
Unlike ravioli which use two sheets of dough, agnolotti use one sheet of dough. The filling is placed on the small circular sheet of pasta, which is folded over into a crescent moon shape and sealed.
Agnolotti hails from the Piedmont region in Italy and features a filling of meat, vegetables or cheese. This type of pasta pairs well with butter and herb sauces, cream sauces, and tomato based sauces.
To the west of the Piedmont region, the Emilia-Romagna region is home to the last stuffed pasta type we’re going to discuss: tortellini.
Tortellini are often filled with cheese, but can also be filled meats and vegetables. They are traditionally served in a broth, or as an addition to soup.
They are similar to agnolotti because tortellini are also made from one circular sheet of pasta. After tortellini is folded into a half moon shape (like agnolotti), the corners are then brought together.
Legend says that this pasta shape was inspired by the goddess Venus’s navel. An innkeeper saw a glimpse her through a keyhole, and struck by this fertility goddess’s beauty, he made a pasta to resemble her navel.
Long pasta types
There are many long types of pasta that are popular in Italian cuisine. They come in varying thicknesses, and each have optimal sauce pairings.
Angel hair is one of the thinnest noodles. They don’t work well with chunky sauces or meat sauces, since they’re so thin. An oil based sauce, cream sauce or Pomodoro sauce works best with these noodles.
Spaghetti is one of the most familiar long pasta types. It’s a round noodle that has a medium thickness so it works well with most sauce types, and is frequently served with marinara sauce.
Bucatini is similar to spaghetti, except it has a thin hole down the center of the noodle. This hole provides an extra area for sauce to fill. Bucatini noodles are a great choice for dishes like cacio e pepe and carbonara.
Linguini is a thin, flat noodle. It pairs well with creamy sauces and seafood. It is often used in the dish linguine alle vongole, which consists of linguini with clams and a white wine butter sauce.
Fettuccini is slightly wider than linguini and is often paired with cream sauces, like in the dish fettuccini alfredo.
Tagliatelle is a wide, flat noodle (wider than fettuccini and linguini). It and holds up well with chunkier, meatier sauces. A traditional pairing for tagliatelle is a bolognese sauce.
Lasagne are wide sheets of pasta, which create the dish called lasagna when layered together with tomato sauce, cheese and sometimes meat. Since they are so long, they can also be rolled around fillings and baked.
Short pasta types
Penne is a tubular pasta with the ends cut on a diagonal. It’s a versatile type of pasta, and goes well with most sauces, including chunky sauces like meat sauces and marinaras, and thinner sauces like cream sauces.
Rigatoni is another tube shaped pasta, which is larger than penne. Unlike penne, however, it is cut straight across the noodle, instead of on the diagonal. It’s often paired with a vodka sauce (consisting of tomato sauce, vodka and cream).
Rigatoni has grooves down the side, like penne. Ziti is very similar to rigatoni with the exception of the grooves. Ziti is a smooth pasta and holds sauce well. It’s often paired with a marinara or meat sauce, topped with cheese and baked.
Ditalini is one of the shorter pasta types. Similar to ziti, it doesn’t have grooves. However, unlike ziti, ditalini is a fraction of the length. This type of pasta is great in soups like minestrone and pasta e fagioli.
Macaroni is another tube shaped pasta, but the tube is much thinner than the others mentioned above. Elbow macaroni refers to the curved version of this pasta. Its most obvious sauce paring appears in the dish macaroni and cheese.
Fusilli is a spiral pasta. The grooves of the spiral are great at holding thinner sauces like pesto sauce and pomodoro sauce. Rotini is also a spiral pasta, with a tighter spiral than fusilli. Both of these types of pasta are great in cold pasta salads.
Farfalle is known as the bowtie pasta, because its shape resembles a bowtie. Farfalle translates from Italian to mean butterflies, which is another description of this pasta’s shape. This pasta type goes well with tomato and cream sauces.
Like farfalle, our next pasta type’s name describes its shape: orecchiette means little ears. This pasta holds sauce well, making it a good candidate for pesto sauce. Orecchiette dishes often include meat and vegetables.
Conchiglie, also known as shells, come in three sizes. Their shape holds filling well, and while the smaller ones don’t hold as much, the larger ones are great for stuffing with cheese and tomato sauce and then baking.
Orzo is a short type of pasta, which is only slightly larger than rice. It’s delicious when cooked in broth and flavored with lemon and parmesan. It’s also an ideal pasta type for soups.
How to celebrate World Pasta Day
Would you like to celebrate World Pasta Day in a special way? Try one of these ideas.
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- Check out the list of 35 pasta recipes below to pick an idea for dinner tonight!
- Make your own homemade pasta sauce like this meaty spaghetti sauce, this marinara sauce with roasted tomatoes or this mushroom sauce with fresh herbs.
- Get an airtight container to store dried pasta to keep it fresh!
- Try making your own homemade noodles with a pasta maker.
- Fill your own ravioli the easy way by using a ravioli mold.
- Use this October 25 national day as an excuse to change your kitchen decor, and switch to pasta themed art.
Share this post about World Pasta Day with your friends on twitter:
If you enjoyed learning about the different pasta types don’t forget to share this guide and corresponding recipes with your friends. Here’s a tweet to get you started:
Celebrate World Pasta Day with a list of 35 pasta recipes that utilize the optimal sauce and pasta pairings. 🍝🍅 #WorldPastaDay #TypesOfPasta Share on XMore October 25 national days
Did you enjoy learning about World Pasta Day? Well you’re in luck, October 25 is host to more than just one national day!
Here is a complete list of all the October 25 national days:
- World Pasta Day
- Chucky, the Notorious Killer Doll Day
- National Greasy Food Day
- Sourest Day
- World Pizza Maker’s Day
- National Cartoonist Against Crime Day
- Punk for a Day Day
- International Artist Day
More national days in October like World Pasta Day
There are close to 2000 national days in the year and over 150 of them are celebrated in October.
To see them all, have a look at this post to discover more national days in October. Are you a fan of puzzles? If so, be sure to also check out the October word search printables which features many of the national days hidden in a word find puzzle.
Is food your thing? Each day of the month has a food or drink associated with it, too. You’ll find all the October food holidays here.
Be sure to also check out these national days in October:
- National Black Cat Day – This day (along with Black Cat Appreciation Day) celebrates this fantastic feline.
- National Candy Corn Day – Get 20 candy corn recipes to celebrate this national day dedicated to this popular Halloween candy.
- National Caramel Apple Day – Make your own homemade caramel apples with our recipe, and don’t forget to decorate them when you’re done!
- National Carve a Pumpkin Day – Learn fascinating facts about pumpkins to celebrate this national day, and make sure get our list of pumpkin carving ideas.
- National Cake Decorating Day – Read our cake decorating tips to make your next cake a work of art!
Pin this post on World Pasta Day for later
Would you like a reminder of these types of pasta with sauce recommendations for World Pasta Day? Just pin this image to one of your national day boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later.
Make sure to watch our YouTube video about the other October food days.
If you want to celebrate World Pasta Day in a fun way, check out the 35 recipes below to get some inspiration. They pair various types of pasta with complementary sauces. There's everything from red wine infused marinaras, and creamy garlic parmesan sauces. Some of the pasta recipes have meat, while others are more vegetable focused. There's even vegan options for meatless Mondays. No matter what you like, you're bound to find a pasta recipe below that suits your taste. Happy cooking! This seafood piccata is a lighter version of the classic dish. It uses a mix of seafood, and which makes it an indulgent meal that you can make at home! This one pot sausage rotini bake is an easy weeknight dinner full of flavor. Ditch the dishes with this easy one pot recipe. It's creamy, delicious, and only uses one sauté pan! This meaty manicotti is a warm and comforting meal that's perfect for the cooler weather. It's packed with flavor. This penne pasta with a creamy parmesan and garlic sauce is a great option for 30 minute weeknight dinner. This easy fettuccini pasta recipe comes together in under 30 minutes and costs less than $10! Try making this fettucini alfredo with shrimp and broccoli. It's a comfort food classic! This lasagna soup recipe is warm and comforting, perfect for winter. It also only takes one pot to make, so clean up is easy. This chunky Italian pasta salad recipe uses farfalle pasta. It's a great option to bring to a pot luck or picnic! This recipe for spaghetti and meatballs is a crowd pleaser! These chicken alfredo roll ups are fun to make, and delicious to eat. This ziti pasta dish uses sweet italian sausages and Swiss chard. It's a great option for using extra Swiss chard at the end of your vegetable garden's harvest! Say goodbye to hamburger helper with this delicious recipe for rigatoni pasta with meat sauce! If you have vegan friends coming over for dinner, you can wow them with this vegan lasagne. It has all the flavor of a traditional lasagna without any meat or dairy! This spicy shrimp fettuccine makes a delicious 30 minute weeknight meal. One of the best things about this penne pasta recipe with beef and a red wine infused tomato sauce is that is only takes one pot to make! This vegan pasta with a creamy garlic sauce and spaghetti noodles is a great option for meatless Mondays! Plus it gives all the flavor of a traditional cream sauce, with none of the dairy. This hearty vegetable marinara pasta sauce is a perfect pairing with rotini pasta. It's not only full of vegetables, but also flavorful too! This skinny shrimp alfredo has all of the flavor, with fewer calories. This vegan recipe for mushroom and asparagus ziti will delight vegans and non-vegans alike! If you're a fan of Applebees, try this copycat three cheese chicken penne pasta recipe. This pasta recipe combines Italian sausage with white wine, bell peppers, and plenty of herbs to give this dish flavor. This ground beef stroganoff with mushrooms is an easy dinner idea that tastes delicious! These taco themed stuffed shells are a crowd pleaser! Spaghetti with homemade meatballs and marinara sauce doesn't have to be a time consuming recipe - this meal comes together in less than 30 minutes. This pasta recipe is great for the days when you don't want to decide between pizza and pasta. It combines the best of both worlds! This combination of marinara sauce, Italian sausages, peppers and egg noodles is a great option for a hearty winter meal. Can't decide between Mexican food and pasta? With this recipe you don't have to! This macaroni salad side dish is as easy to make as it is delicious. This manicotti uses bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, and onions for a veggie packed weeknight dinner. This baked penne pasta with pecans is perfect for fall. It's vegetarian too, so it's great for meatless Mondays. This shrimp Florentine with farfalle is a warm and comforting meal that's perfect for the cooler weather during the fall. Try this 20 minute garlic chicken pasta for a dinner that has protein, carbs and plenty of veggies! Use tri-color rotini to add some fun to this delicious and easy pasta recipe. Serve with garlic bread and a side salad for a perfect weeknight dinner. This Thai-inspired peanut chicken pasta is a delicious and easy weeknight dinner recipe that can be made in less than 30 minutes.Pasta Recipes for World Pasta Day
One Pot Sausage Rotini Bake – Authentic Italian Farmers’ Market Taste
Abruzzese Italian Meatballs and Spaghetti in a Buttery Tomato Sauce
Ziti Pasta with Sausages & Swiss Chard – Skillet Ziti Noodles Recipe
Penne Pasta Recipe – One Pot Beef and Penne in a Red Wine Tomato Sauce
About the author
Since graduating from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Jess has been living and working in Los Angeles, CA. She is a freelance writer, specializing in content related to fashion, food and drink and film industry topics. Find out more about Jess here.