Americans love pasta. Whether it’s spaghetti and meatballs in grandma’s secret Sunday gravy or the classic macaroni elbow in cheesy cheddar, the numbers speak for themselves.
As you’d expect, Italy leads the way in pasta production according to the mostrecent reportfrom the International Pasta Organisation, but the United States isn’t that far behind. When it comes to consuming pasta, though, the U.S ranks sixth in terms of pasta consumption per capita in the same report.
Though we make more than we eat when full population figures are taken into consideration, when it comes to straight tonnage, consumed, the U.S. stands tall. While Italy consumes just over 1.5 million tons of pasta each year, here in the United States, we consume 2.7 million tons.
Now THAT’s a lot of pasta.
Whether you’reasking accomplished Italian chefsor your local food bloggers, everyone seems to have a favorite shape. We do, too.
Here’s our official (unofficial) list of the best pasta shapes:
Spaghetti– You just can’t beat this classical shape, and it shouldn’t be any surprise that it’s at the top of the list. It’s versatile, great for just about any type of sauce, and it goes well with meatballs and red sauce, of course.
Macaroni– Though it also goes well with a wide variety of sauces, it’s hard to imagine macaroni without “n cheese.”
Fettuccine– Now that we have all the “kid shapes” out of the way, we can turn to some of the more traditional cuts. Fettuccine is certainly one of those. Great with chicken, seafood, and of course Alfredo sauce, it’s long, ribbon-like bands are great for soaking in flavors.
Penne– Here’s another versatile cut. From ala vodka or arribiata sauce to pasta salads, this short, hollow cut with ridged “rigata” holds flavor inside the tube and along the pasta’s ridges.
Farfalle– The famous bow-tie pasta not only holds flavors well in all it’s folds and edges, it’s also a fun method of delivery. Though small, they can pack a flavorful punch!
Tortellini– Speaking of small and packing a big punch, tortellini holds small pouches of cheese, meat, or both in it’s interior and comes in flavors ranging from spinach to tomato.
Ravioli– Kind of like a larger version of tortellini and acting kind of like an Italian dumpling, ravioli are stuffed with all types of flavorful fillings that can excite any type of palette.
Pasta not your thing? Tell us what is.
FAQs
Spaghetti. SHAPE: Long, thin, solid, cylindrical pasta. It's the most popular in the U.S. and the best-known pasta shape. SERVED: Spaghetti has a lot of versatility and mixes with a variety of sauces.
What is the most popular pasta in the world? ›
Spaghetti is the most popular of all the pasta types. It is the favorite of many, especially kids. Indeed, this is one of the most frequently cooked pasta worldwide. It is also usually available in most restaurants.
What pasta do Italians use? ›
Spaghetti is Italy's classic pasta and commonly found in Sicilian dishes you can try during a Sicily tour and vacation. Typical spaghetti is made from water, milled wheat, and flour, but authentic spaghetti is made with durum wheat semolina.
What is the rarest pasta shape? ›
Su filindeu is made by pulling and folding semolina dough into 256 perfectly even strands with the tips of your fingers, and then stretching the needle-thin wires diagonally across a circular frame in an intricate three-layer pattern.
What is Italy's #1 pasta? ›
Barilla can't avoid a class-action lawsuit over allegedly deceptive advertising about the pasta's origins, a federal judge ruled this week. At issue is the brand's slogan “Italy's No. 1 brand of pasta,” which the lawsuit says can lead customers to believe it's actually made in Italy.
Is De Cecco better than Barilla? ›
Why De Cecco Is a Better Dry Pasta. The reason De Cecco is preferred is because it's a higher-quality product. While both De Cecco and Barilla hail from Italy and use 100% semolina flour (the flour of choice for dry pasta), De Cecco takes an extra measure: they use bronze dies to cut the pasta.
Which pasta shape is best? ›
Shells and tubes are your heavy hitters. Penne, elbow macaroni, ziti, and orecchiette (ears) are some of the best options when you have a heavy meaty or chunky vegetable type of sauce. They are also my choice for a baked pasta dish. This is “stick a fork” in it pasta.
Which country loves pasta the most? ›
Italian cuisine is synonymous with pasta, and it's the heart of their culinary culture. From north to south, Italy boasts a vast array of pasta shapes and recipes. The average Italian consumes a whopping 23 kilograms of pasta annually, making it the highest per capita consumption in the world.
What is the healthiest pasta? ›
Whole-wheat pasta
Whole wheat pasta has a nuttier flavor and grainier texture than ordinary pasta, but when covered with sauce, it's just as delicious. Unlike typical pasta, whole-wheat pasta contains all three parts of the grain — the bran, endosperm and germ — which means it's less processed and more nutritious.
Why can I eat pasta in Italy but not in the US? ›
Wheat grown in the United States is typically high in gluten content, since the majority is hard red wheat. Much of Europe's wheat is a softer, lower gluten variety.
The TOOTH rule
Because, when Italians cook pasta, another important matter is the timing: regardless the kind of pasta, you must not let it become “soft”, by cooking it too much. Pasta must be “al dente” (literally “to the tooth”): meaning, not too hard to break your teeth, but still hard enough to chew it!
Do Italians eat pasta every day? ›
Italians eat the most pasta worldwide – about 60 pounds of pasta per person per year. Most Italians eat pasta every day but they keep their portions in check. A portion in Italy is about a cup and the meal includes a small portion of meat and a large portion of vegetables and salad.
What is the new ideal pasta shape? ›
After approximately three years of testing various pasta shapes, Pashman who has no professional training as a chef, invented Cascatelli. The new shape is sort of like a hybrid between bucatini and mafaldine, but it also boasts right angles, which is rare for pasta.
What is Italy's favorite pasta shape? ›
Among the most popular types of pasta follow penne rigate and fusilli. The wooden medal goes to the rigatoni and the ranking also includes farfalle, linguine, bucatini and lasagna. In Southern Italy ziti and ditalini, orecchiette and mixed pasta also triumph, almost impossible to find in the North.
What is the original pasta shape? ›
The earliest pasta shape was a simple sheet, which was treated more like bread dough. It probably didn't have the toothsome quality – known as “al dente” – associated with Italian pasta today, and would have been similar to unleavened matzo bread with sauce on it.
Which part of the United States eats the most pasta? ›
The United States of Pasta Lovers
New York- It's no surprise that New York leads the nation in pasta lovers per capita - after all, it's home to some of the best Italian restaurants in the world like Carmine's on Times Square or nearby Trattoria Trecolori.
