The 300 pasta shapes found in Italy
Among the 300 pasta shapes available in Italy, it is easy to see traits that reflect the history and culture of our country. Long, short, fresh, or dry, smooth or ridged—there is something for everyone. These shapes are not just a practical choice based on the texture of the sauces they will pair with, but also an endless source of creativity and imagination, characteristics that have defined Italian pasta artisans over the years.
Between history and Italian culture: Macaroni and Spaghetti
When discussing Italian popular culture, it is impossible not to mention maccheroni among the pasta shapes that have made history. Featured in numerous films—who could forget the iconic scene in An American in Rome with Alberto Sordi?—this pasta shape gained international fame, starting from Southern Italy. Historical records are unclear, but as early as the year 1000, the Arab writer Idrisi mentioned maccheroni at the court of Roger II in Sicily, where it was already being exported across the Mediterranean. Even more iconic are spaghetti, a word that has become part of the vocabulary of countless foreign restaurants and even cinema, thanks to Sergio Leone and his famous spaghetti westerns.
Regional pasta shapes: from Tagliatelle to Linguine
Every Italian region has its own typical pasta shapes, which tell a story of local history and culture. Many could be mentioned, but one cannot overlook the classic tagliatelle, an egg pasta from Emilia-Romagna. According to legend, they were invented in 1487 by Giovanni II Bentivoglio’s personal chef to celebrate his son’s wedding with Lucrezia, daughter of Ercole I d’Este, Duke of Ferrara. Moving up to Liguria, one finds a variant of stretched spaghetti: linguine, which in Genoa and its surroundings is typically paired with classic pesto, but also with other local seafood sauces.
