Pasta shapes for baking: al forno, casseroles, and timballo
A baked pasta cooks twice: first in water, then in the oven under sauce and cheese. The shape needs a thick wall that stays firm through both, and a cavity that fills with sauce so the inside does not dry out. Wide tubes such as rigatoni, ziti, and paccheri are the classic choice. Large shells and cannelloni are stuffed by hand. Lasagne sheets stack.
Undercook the pasta by two minutes before it goes in the oven. It finishes in the sauce and it does not turn to mush.
19 shapes, A to Z.
Anelli
Pastina · Sicily
small thin rings. cooks in 8 to 11 min
Candele
Tubes · Campania
very long smooth tube, broken by hand before cooking. cooks in 13 to 17 min
Cannelloni
Tubes · Campania
large smooth tube for stuffing, or a rolled sheet. cooks in 20 to 30 min
Conchiglioni
Short shapes · All of Italy
jumbo shell for stuffing. cooks in 13 to 16 min
Creste di gallo
Short shapes · All of Italy
curved ridged tube with a ruffled crest along the outer edge. cooks in 10 to 12 min
Lasagne
Sheets · Emilia-Romagna
wide flat sheet, plain or with a ruffled edge. cooks in 30 to 45 min
Lumache
Tubes · All of Italy
snail-shell tube, curved and pinched at one end. cooks in 10 to 13 min
Manicotti
Tubes · United States
large ridged tube for stuffing, the American cannelloni. cooks in 20 to 30 min
Mezze maniche
Tubes · All of Italy
short wide ridged tube, half a rigatoni. cooks in 11 to 13 min
Mezzi rigatoni
Tubes · All of Italy
half-length rigatoni. cooks in 11 to 13 min
Mostaccioli
Tubes · United States
smooth diagonal-cut tube, the American penne lisce. cooks in 10 to 12 min
Occhi di lupo
Tubes · Campania
short wide ridged tube, cut straight. cooks in 11 to 13 min
Paccheri
Tubes · Campania
very wide smooth tube, collapses flat when cooked. cooks in 14 to 18 min
Penne
Tubes · Liguria
medium tube cut on the diagonal, ridged (rigate) or smooth (lisce). cooks in 10 to 12 min
Penne lisce
Tubes · Liguria
smooth diagonal-cut medium tube. cooks in 10 to 12 min
Pennoni
Tubes · All of Italy
large penne, ridged, 1.5 cm across. cooks in 12 to 14 min
Rigatoni
Tubes · Lazio
wide ridged tube cut straight across. cooks in 12 to 14 min
Tortiglioni
Tubes · Campania
medium tube with ridges that spiral around it. cooks in 12 to 14 min
Ziti
Tubes · Campania
smooth medium tube, cut straight; sold long or cut. cooks in 11 to 14 min