How many pasta are there?

Pastas come in different shapes and sizes. Even though there are only a few in the pasta aisle at a supermarket. There are over 400 different types of pasta. Pasta can also be made of different things. For example, there are spinach pastas that appear green due to the vegetable included in them. Some of the pasta come in shells, bells, crosses, bow ties, flowers, leaves, spirals and tubes, to name a few.

Each of these types of pastas have a specific, usually Italian, names. These include gnocchi, spiralini, rotini, cavatappi, manicotti, penne and rigatoni. Many of these types you have probably never heard of and couldn’t identify unless you are a pasta expert. However, there are a few that can be described and named because they are common in Italian restaurants.

Interestingly enough, there are over 350 types of pasta in the world. There are also countless names for each, which can make it terribly confusing for someone unaccustomed to cooking pasta. Pasta is traditionally made out of eggs but can also be made from potatoes to form gnocchi, and from rice for Asian dishes.

Cavatappi is another type of pasta that tastes quite similar to egg noodles but are made without eggs Each type of pasta, from pappardelle, farfalle, bucatini, to angel hair each have types of dishes they are best served with or in. For example, pappardelle pasta is typically served with heavy and filling meat-based sauces, while farfalle (bowtie) pasta is great in cold pasta salads.