Pasta Database

Pasta corta

Short shapes

Twists, bows, shells, wheels, and spirals. The folds and cups trap chunky sauces, dressings, and cheese. The pasta-salad family.

Shapes
38, 18 with a full profile
Measured
19 shapes
Length
15 to 70 mm
Width or diameter
3 to 40 mm
Cook time
5 to 16 min
Surface
14 ridged, 11 smooth, 7 rough
Hollow
6 shapes
Dough
31 semolina, 5 semolina or egg, 1 egg
Made by hand
4 shapes
Usually fresh
1 shape
Regions
All of Italy (11), Campania (3), Emilia-Romagna (3), Abruzzo (3)
On a brand page
26 shapes

Ranges span every measured member.

What the family takes

Across the 18 profiled shapes, the sauces named most often: Pomodoro (15), Sausage ragu (11), Cream sauce (10), Pasta salad (10), Vegetable ragu (9), Pesto alla genovese (8).

18 shapes with a full profile

Campanelle, uncooked, on linen

Campanelle

Short shapes · All of Italy

cone rolled from a ruffled sheet, open like a bell

Casarecce, uncooked, on linen

Casarecce

Short shapes · Sicily

short strip rolled into an S, with a groove down the middle

Cascatelli, uncooked, on linen

Cascatelli

Short shapes · United States

half-tube with a ruffled flange, curved into a half-loop

Conchiglie, uncooked, on linen

Conchiglie

Short shapes · All of Italy

cupped shell with ridges on the outside

Conchiglioni, uncooked, on linen

Conchiglioni

Short shapes · All of Italy

jumbo shell for stuffing

Creste di gallo, uncooked, on linen

Creste di gallo

Short shapes · All of Italy

curved ridged tube with a ruffled crest along the outer edge

Farfalle, uncooked, on linen

Farfalle

Short shapes · Lombardy

rectangle of pasta pinched in the middle into a bow, with crimped edges

Foglie d'ulivo, uncooked, on linen

Foglie d'ulivo

Short shapes · Puglia

flat leaf with a pinched vein, often tinted green with spinach

Fusilli, uncooked, on linen

Fusilli

Short shapes · Campania

short solid spiral, three blades twisted around a core

Gemelli, uncooked, on linen

Gemelli

Short shapes · All of Italy

one strand folded and twisted on itself, like two strands entwined

Gnocchetti sardi, uncooked, on linen

Gnocchetti sardi

Short shapes · Sardinia

small ridged dried shell, the commercial malloreddus

Gramigna, uncooked, on linen

Gramigna

Short shapes · Emilia-Romagna

short thin hollow curl, like a blade of couch grass

Radiatori, uncooked, on linen

Radiatori

Short shapes · All of Italy

squat cylinder with deep fins, like a car radiator

Rotelle, uncooked, on linen

Rotelle

Short shapes · All of Italy

wagon wheel with spokes

Rotini, uncooked, on linen

Rotini

Short shapes · United States

tight short spiral, the American fusilli

Strozzapreti, uncooked, on linen

Strozzapreti

Short shapes · Emilia-Romagna

strip of dough rolled between the palms into a loose twist

Trottole, uncooked, on linen

Trottole

Short shapes · All of Italy

spinning top, a ribbon wound around a central pin

Vesuvio, uncooked, on linen

Vesuvio

Short shapes · Campania

tight spiral cone, like the volcano

20 more short shapes

Names, origins, and what the sources say. Profiles in progress.

Boccoli, uncooked, on linen

Boccoli

Short shapes · All of Italy

Short, thick twisted shape

Cappelli da chef, uncooked, on linen

Cappelli da chef

Short shapes

Extruded pasta that looks like a chef's hat

Castellane, uncooked, on linen

Castellane

Short shapes · Emilia-Romagna

Shell pasta coiled into a conical shape

Cencioni, uncooked, on linen

Cencioni

Short shapes · All of Italy

Petal shaped, slightly curved with rough convex side

Festoni, uncooked, on linen

Festoni

Short shapes

Thick ruffled helices

Fiorentine, uncooked, on linen

Fiorentine

Short shapes

Grooved cut tubes

Fiori, uncooked, on linen

Fiori

Short shapes · All of Italy

Shaped like a flower

Lanterne, uncooked, on linen

Lanterne

Short shapes · Puglia

Curved ridges

Marille, uncooked, on linen

Marille

Short shapes · Campania

Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro in 1983 – like a rolling ocean wave in cross-section with internal rugosities, but unsuccessful and no longer

Nuvole, uncooked, on linen

Nuvole

Short shapes

Short coiled pasta

Pasta al ceppo, uncooked, on linen

Pasta al ceppo

Short shapes · Abruzzo

Sheet pasta that is similar in shape to a cinnamon stick

Quadrefiore, uncooked, on linen

Quadrefiore

Short shapes

Square with rippled edges

Riccioli, uncooked, on linen

Riccioli

Short shapes

Hollow cut with cylindrical ridges

Ricciolini, uncooked, on linen

Ricciolini

Short shapes

Short wide pasta with a 90-degree twist

Ricciutelle, uncooked, on linen

Ricciutelle

Short shapes

Short spiralled pasta

Rombi, uncooked, on linen

Rombi

Short shapes · Abruzzo

Rhombus-shaped ribbons

Sagnarelli, uncooked, on linen

Sagnarelli

Short shapes · Abruzzo

Rectangular ribbons with fluted edges

Strapponi, uncooked, on linen

Strapponi

Short shapes · Tuscany

Strips of pasta ripped from a sheet

strigoli, uncooked, on linen

strigoli

Short shapes

Treccioni, uncooked, on linen

Treccioni

Short shapes

Coiled pasta

Classic plates

Every classic plate

Read more

Sources

  • Every figure above is computed from the shape records. Each shape page names the brand page, spec sheet, or measured box behind its own numbers.
  • The sauce counts and the classic plates come from the pairings and dishes in the profiled shape records: our editorial judgement, checked against the regional cookbooks named on the shape pages.