When you think of Italian food, you automatically think of pasta, right?  Whether long, thin noodles or large, cheese-stuffed shells, pasta, in its many shapes and sizes, is synonymous with Italy.  And this weekend, the first-ever major pasta expo will take place in Bologna—considered the capital of Italian food an hour or so outside of Florence.  Pasta Trend, being held at the BolognaFiere exhibition center from April 24 to 27, will put the spotlight on all things pasta with workshops, competitions, tasting sessions, and courses on subjects ranging from the history of pasta in Italy to making fresh pasta.  But what’s pasta without sauce?  Don’t worry, there will be plenty of sauce too—from traditional marinaras and mushrooms to more exotic sauces with influences from Asia.  And, of course, there will be pasta—lots of it, in both dry and fresh varieties.

So what’s with all of those different pasta shapes?  Well, Italians don’t simply choose wagon wheels or orzo according to their mood—each different shape serves a purpose.  For example, a short pasta accompanies something you’d have to cut—like vegetables or meat—and a pasta with ridges or holes would be used with a meat sauce so that the ingredients have something to hold on to.  And a straight, long piece of spaghetti would be used with a slippery sauce so the noodles don’t get tangled. 

All of those options in the pasta aisle can be overwhelming, so whether you’re at Pasta Trend in Bologna or just in your neighborhood grocery store, here is a pasta cheat sheet:

Long Pastas
spaghetti: Probably the most well-known, these “little strings” are long, thin strands of dried pasta.
spaghettini: thinner than spaghetti but not quite as thin as angel hair
spaghettone: thick spaghetti
capellini tangelo (angel hair): the thinnest, most delicate form of spaghetti
linguine (little tongues): narrow, flat strands of pasta typically served with pesto
bucatini: A thick, hollow spaghetti, sometimes called perciatelli.
vermicelli: A very thin spaghetti that, when dry, looks like a nest.
bigoli: A thick, whole wheat noodle common in Venice
pici (or pinci): Thick, hand-rolled noodle made with only flour and water. 

Tubes
penne (quills): Basic tubular pasta cut on the diagonal. Can be smooth (lisce) or with ridges (rigate).
cavatappi:  Spiral tubes with ridges.
maccheroni: A generic name for dried pasta.
chifferi: Elbow pasta.
rigatoni: Tubes cut at a 90-degree angle with ridges that wrap around.  Also called elicoidali.
rigatoncini: Slightly smaller rigatoni.
millerighe (thousand lines): A shorter, but wider rigatoni with more ridges.
ziti (bridegrooms): A longer, thinner rigatoni often baked with sauce and cheese.  A staple of Naples.
paccheri: A wide and short tube without ridges that can be stuffed, but is usually mixed with seafood and garlic.  Also called mezze maniche.

Shapes
fusilli: Short spirals that look like a corkscrew or spring. Fusilli lunghi are longer.
trofiel, troffie, troffiette: Very thin, homemade pasta native to Genova that is twisted at each end
conchiglie: Shells of any size or color—great for catching meat sauces
farfalle: Commonly known as bow tie pasta, though its name means “butterflies”
lumache (snails): Curled pastas that resemble snails
orecchiette (little ears): Discs of pasta pressed down in the middle with the thumb to resemble an ear—perfect for gathering sauce
ditallini (little toes): Very short tubes often used in soups.
strozzapreti: A 2-inch piece of pasta rolled lenth-wise and then twisted
gemelli (twins): A double-strand of strozzapreti twisted together
cavatelli: Short strips of pasta with the edges rolled in, creating a shell-like shape
gramigna: Small tubes with a curl at the end—like a fancy letter “c”
rotini: Small spirals
sedanini: Small tubes with a slight bend like you would see in maccheroni and cheese
pastina: Tiny, rice-like pasta used in soups
corzetti: flat, thin discs hand-stamped to resembled old Genovese money
gigli, campanelle, riccioli: A ruffle-edged pasta formed into a bell shape that resembles a flower—ideal for catching chunky sauces.
anellini: small rings of pasta similar to ditalini.
radiatori: The literal translation “radiator” is as good a description as any.  These small, chunky pasta are have slats that resemble a radiator.

Fresh, long pasta
tagliatelle, fettuccine, trenette: Traditional flat, ribbon-like egg pasta, commonly used with Alfredo sauces
tagliolini:  a narrower tagliatelle
pappardelle: A wide tagliatelle that has to be hand cut.
garganelli: A ridged, flat square of fresh egg pasta rolled at the corner into a tube
scialatielli: A fresh, thick, spaghetti made of egg pasta popular in Rome and the south.
strascinati: Flat, fresh pasta in a leaf-like shape. 

Fresh, stuffed pasta
ravioli: Square pasta stuffed with anything from cheese to meat.  Can be small (raviolini) or large (raviolone).
agnolotti: Half-moon shaped ravioli usually stuffed with meat.
cansonei: Generally found in Bergamo, this pasta is stuffed with sausage, bread, and parmesan.
Capellacci (big hats): Large, flat ravioli generallystuffed with pumpkin.
pansoti: Large, thick ravioli stuffed with herbs, egg, and cheese.
tortelli: Long ravioli stuffed with ricotta and spinach.
mezzalune: Ravioli in a half-moon shape.
tortellini: Small stuffed pasta made from circles that are filled and then folder over and wrapped around one’s finger.
cappelletti: Made the same way as tortellini, but with a square of pasta instead of a circle
tortelloni: Larger cappelletti
culingiones: An oval ravioli from Sardinia.
cannelloni (large tubes): Flat squares of pasta filled with cheese or other stuffings and then rolled into an open-ended tube
lasagne: Long egg pasta with rippled edges layered with cheeses, meats, or vegetables and baked

Now here’s a question:  with all of those choices, which pasta is your favorite?

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