What Are The Weirdest Pasta Shapes?
Introduction
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so don't take our list of the world's weirdest pasta shapes too seriously. Although we've narrowed it to a dozen of the strangest, we had over 300 to choose from, so the list could be much longer.
Number 12: Testaroli
Any food that Wikipedia describes as "bread or pasta " because no one can agree on what it is had to make our list. Some food historians regard testaroli as the world's oldest pasta shape, while others argue it shares far more similarities to bread. Whichever is correct, most agree that testaroli originated in the Etruscan era (900 BC - 27 BC) and has been enjoyed with pesto, or at least an early form of pesto, for centuries.
Its name (sometimes called testarolo) comes from "testo," the cast-iron pan in which it is cooked. The thin, crepe-like pancakes are then cut into diamond shapes and served with various sauces. Testaroli has grown in popularity recently and is now served in restaurants throughout Italy.
Number 11: Alphabetti Spaghetti
We will file this one under "novelty pasta shapes" alongside the garishly coloured and overpriced junk you can buy in TK Maxx shaped like cartoon characters, dinosaurs, and, let's be honest, genitalia. The Campbell Soup Company first introduced this awful product in 1934, although it has existed since the late 19th century. Most adults* wouldn't be seen dead eating Alphabetti Spaghetti, but if it gets kids into eating pasta, then we suppose it has done its job.
* Because we're militant about reducing food waste, we had to eat it for lunch after photographing this garbage. Honestly, the heroic lengths we go to to keep this blog interesting; you're welcome.
Number 10: 'a Caccavella
This obscure monstrosity is marketed as the biggest single-portion pasta shape in the world, weighing 50g and boasting a diameter of 10cm. It's an edible bowl usually filled with a meaty ragù in the Campanian dish pasta alla Sorrentina.
This pasta's name translates to "pots" in the Neapolitan dialect because it is traditionally cooked in small terracotta pots. The pasta's large size and ridged surface allow it to absorb flavours and sauces effectively, making it a popular choice for hearty meat dishes.
Number 9: Bucatini
Also known as perciatelli, bucatini looks like linguine at first glance. However, its significant difference is that it has a hole running through it to help it cook uniformly and hold onto more sauce. Many foodies dispute that the hole does either of those things, making this shape the cause of many fiery debates among pasta nerds.
Number 8: Corzetti
Also known as croxetti, this ancient shape is so unusual because it's the only one made by embossing a circular piece of pasta with a pattern, traditionally a wealthy family's coat of arms. Styled on a 14th-century Genovese coin, the embossed emblem didn't just show off how moneyed you were; it also gave the pasta some texture so that sauces could cling to it better than if it had been entirely smooth.
Number 7: Tempestine
This pasta shape makes the list not because it is particularly odd but because it's the smallest pasta shape in the world. It is so tiny that it takes scientific scales to weigh it, and it weighs just 0.0057g per piece, meaning it cooks extremely quickly.
Number 6: Orecchiette
You don't need to be a super-sleuth like Coleen Rooney to determine why this quirky shape translates as "little ears." They achieve their appearance by dragging a serrated knife across a small piece of dough, creating a unique texture that perfectly captures sauces. The shape is a staple in Pugliese cuisine, often served with simple tomato sauces or hearty stews.
On the face of it, it's a rather primitive shape, but anyone who has ever tried making it by hand will tell you that its apparent simplicity is a smokescreen of the highest order. In southern Italy, Bari is where you will find the true experts. A great YouTube clip from Tastemade shows America's best-known sfoglino, Evan Funke, who is blown away when he sees the speed with which the local women can churn out these funny little shapes.
Number 5: Atavi Tagliatelle
This pasta is weird not because of its shape (the producers decided to go with the classic tagliatelle) but because it's so eye-wateringly expensive. A 280g box of smoked Atavi pasta will set you back a whopping £22, making it almost 15,000 times more expensive than the UK's most affordable pasta sold by Morrisons.
Number 4: Fregola Grossa
Colloquially known as Sardinian couscous, this "shape" is unusual because the pieces are entirely different shapes and sizes. That might not sound like a big deal, but typically, producers go to great lengths to ensure consistency so that every piece of their pasta cooks uniformly, time after time. Having tiny grains and large chunks boiled together means that some pieces will be overcooked and some will be undercooked. It makes for an odd but exciting eating experience, provided you go into it with your eyes wide open.
Number 3: Cascatelli
You could easily argue that cascatelli pasta has had more time spent on its design than any other shape in the history of pasta. The Sporkful podcast host Dan Pashman created it over a three-year period in collaboration with the New York-based pasta company Sfoglini. Cascatelli launched in 2021 to worldwide acclaim, with Time magazine calling it one of the year's best inventions.
Pashman created cascatelli with the goal of developing a pasta shape that excels in three key areas: sauceability, forkability, and toothsinkability. Sauceability refers to the pasta's ability to cling to and carry a sauce, while forkability refers to its ease of handling with a fork. Toothsinkability refers to the pasta's ability to provide a satisfying bite. Cascatelli's unique shape and ruffled edges are designed to maximise these three qualities.
Number 2: Fusilli Capri
As devoted fusilli fans, you can imagine our delight when we stumbled across this ridiculously oversized pasta shape in a tacky little tourist shop in the centre of Venice. We immediately grabbed five bags of the stuff, but the fact that four of them are still gathering dust in the back of our food cupboard tells you all you need to know about what we think of it.
If you attempt to cook the whole foot-long shape, you'll end up with a piece of pasta that is rock hard on the inside and mushy on the outside. Like candele lunghe (an even longer pasta shape representing the candles carried on religious processions), the shape must be broken to cook correctly. Speak to any Italian, though, and they'll tell you that snapping pasta is one of the most heinous crimes you can commit against their beloved cuisine and worthy of penal sanctions. After all, if you produce pasta that needs to be broken into smaller pieces, why not just make smaller pieces to start with?
Number 1: Su Filindeu
We've written about our love for su filindeu, not just because it's the world's rarest and most intricate pasta but because only a handful of people know how to make it.