Farm Boy’s Guide To: Pasta Shapes

Pasta is one of those classic, comforting, always-there-for-you dishes. It can be as complex or as simple as you want it to be. The history of pasta dates back at least 3500 years, with dried pasta becoming popular in the 14th and 15th centuries for its easy storage. Long, skinny pasta shapes or short, spiralized noodles—pasta has evolved over the millennia to become the delicious, wholesome food we know and love.

At Farm Boy stores, you’ll discover shelves stocked with both fresh and dried pasta in a variety of shapes. We also often have pasta deals in our digital flyer! Of course, with so much variety at your fingertips, how do you know which pasta to choose—and which sauce goes with it? In our handy guide below, learn all about different pasta shapes including their origin, their ideal sauce, and more!

Classic Pasta Calamarata with squid sauce Italian Recipe close-up in a plate on the table. Horizontal top view from above.

Calamarata Rigata

Name Meaning: “Squid rings”

Origin: Naples, Campania

Varieties: Farm Boy™ Calamarata Rigata

Ideal Sauce: Named for its resemblance to squid rings, or calamari, this pasta works best with hearty ingredients and thick sauces, like our Farm Boy™ Sugo di Pomodoro. It’s most often served in southern Italy with tomatoes and, naturally, calamari.

Top view of Spinach fettuccine with ingredients on kitchen counter. Freshly prepared green pasta on kitchen table.

Fettuccine

Name Meaning: “Small ribbons” or “little ribbons”

Origin: Unclear

Varieties: Farm Boy™ Fresh Gluten-Free Fettuccine

Ideal Sauce: This beloved pasta shape is a favourite for Alfredo sauce (like our Farm Boy™ Fresh Alfredo Pasta Sauce). Fettuccine Alfredo is a classic dish that was created in Rome in 1914 and has since become popular everywhere else. The versatility of this pasta shape works well with tomato sauces and meat sauces, too.

Fresh fileja pasta on white background.

Fileja

Name Meaning: Unclear, but al nero di seppia refer to the black squid ink used to give this particular pasta variety its distinct colour and flavour.

Origin: Calabria

Varieties: Farm Boy™ Fileja Al Nero de Seppia

Ideal Sauce: Classic fileja from Calabria is often served in a sauce of tomatoes and minced pork. (Our Farm Boy™ Fresh Meat Pasta Sauce is a delicious combo of both beef and pork sausage.) Our squid ink version would also pair beautifully with a white wine or seafood sauce.

Overhead view of a bowl of fresh gnocchi with cherry tomatoes and fresh basil leaves.

Gnocchi

Name Meaning: “Knot” or “knuckle”

Origin: Northern Italy

Varieties: Farm Boy™ Fresh Gnocchi, Farm Boy™ Gluten-Free Gnocchi, Farm Boy™ Potato Gnocchi

Ideal Sauce: Potatoes are what set this pasta shape apart from the rest, which also means it qualifies as a dumpling, too! While delicious with any sauce, light sauces allow this pasta’s unique flavour and texture to shine. Go for brown butter sauces for maximum deliciousness.

Recipe to Try: Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage

Fanned out sheets of dried lasagna.

Lasagna

Name Meaning: “Cooking pot”

Origin: Ancient Greece

Varieties: Farm Boy™ Oven Ready Egg Lasagna Sheets

Ideal Sauce: Commonly baked in hearty, wholesome dishes, this flat-sheet style pasta is one of the oldest types of pasta! It can hold up to sturdy sauces like our Farm Boy™ Fresh Meat Pasta Sauce, or rich cheese sauces. In addition to classic lasagna recipes, it can be rolled for cannelloni.

Recipe to Try: Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Cannelloni

Linguine with clams (Linguine alle Vongole) on white background.

Linguine

Name Meaning: “Little tongues”

Origin: Liguria

Varieties: Farm Boy™ Fresh Linguine

Ideal Sauce: Long, flat, and narrow, linguine is most commonly served with clam sauce, but this versatile pasta shape can be used for so much more! From meat sauces to tomato to classic butter, there’s no wrong way to enjoy linguine. We like it with our Farm Boy™ Fresh Basil Pesto.

Recipe to Try: Fresh Linguine and Meatballs in Sugo di Pomodoro

Orecchiette pasta on white background.

Orecchiette

Name Meaning: “Little ears”

Origin: Puglia

Varieties: Farm Boy™ Orecchiette

Ideal Sauce: The unique shape of this Puglian-style pasta means that all that delicious sauce gets hidden away inside. Delicious in pasta salads, orecchiette also works well pesto and ragùs and alongside wilted greens. Try it with our Farm Boy™ Fresh Roasted Red Pepper Pesto!

Recipe to Try: Orecchiette with Turkey Sausage, Butternut Squash, and Kale

Paccheri rigati neapolitan pasta in an olive wood spoon and forming a background.

Paccheri Rigati

Name Meaning: “Slaps”

Origin: Naples, Campania

Varieties: Farm Boy™ Paccheri Rigati

Ideal Sauce: Originating from Naples, this pasta shape is best stuffed with a rich ricotta filling or served with a thick tomato sauce like our velvety Farm Boy™ Sugo di Pomodoro.

close up of rustic italian pappardelle bolognese pasta in meat sauce.

Pappardelle

Name Meaning: “To gobble up” or “to eat hungrily” from the Italian papare.

Origin: Tuscany

Varieties: Farm Boy™ Fresh Pappardelle

Ideal Sauce: Make the most of the name of these long, broad noodles from Tuscany and gobble them up with a heavy sauce, like our Farm Boy™ Fresh Meat Pasta Sauce! Its larger surface area means it can handle some pretty robust flavours.

Overhead view of a skillet filled with fresh penne pasta in a tomato sauce, garnished with fresh basil leaves.

Penne

Name Meaning: “Quills” or “feathers”

Origin: Genoa, Liguria

Varieties: Farm Boy™ Fresh Penne

Ideal Sauce: There are different varieties of penne, but penne rigate—meaning “ridged”—holds onto sauces better thanks to its bumpy surface. Enjoy this pasta shape in baked dishes and salads, served with butter or oil, or tossed in a tomato or cream sauce. Or have the best of both worlds and pair this pasta shape with our Farm Boy™ Fresh Rosé Pasta Sauce!

Overhead shot of Farm Boy Fresh Ravioli on a white plate, garnished with black pepper, parmesan cheese, and sliced green onions.

Ravioli

Name Meaning: Unknown, possibly from rava, meaning “turnip”.

Origin: Unclear

Varieties: Farm Boy™ Fresh Gluten-Free Mushroom & Ricotta Ravioli, Farm Boy™ Fresh Gluten-Free Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli, Farm Boy™ Fresh Mushroom, Leek, & Truffle Ravioli, Farm Boy™ Fresh Spinach & Ricotta Cheese Ravioli, Farm Boy™ Fresh Sundried Tomato & Goat Cheese Ravioli

Ideal Sauce: The ideal sauce for ravioli all depends on its filling. Since that’s where most of the flavour of this pasta comes from, you don’t want to overwhelm your tastebuds with a sauce that hides it. Opt for a simple brown butter sauce or choose something deliciously herbaceous, like our Farm Boy™ Fresh Arugula Pesto or gluten-free Farm Boy™ Basil Pesto.

Gigli or campanelle pasta (also known as riccioli) background. Full frame of serving of dry pasta. Mediterranean traditional cuisine.

Riccioli

Name Meaning: “Curl”

Origin: Piedmont

Varieties: Farm Boy™ Riccioli, Farm Boy™ Whole Wheat Riccioli

Ideal Sauce: These delicate pasta curls work best with light sauces and pestos or baked into pasta dishes. We like them with our Farm Boy™ Fresh Alfredo Pasta Sauce.

Recipe to Try: Pasta with Pesto alla Trapanese

Two pieces fresh spaccatelle pasta on white background.

Spaccatelle

Name Meaning: “Split”

Origin: Calabria

Varieties: Farm Boy™ Spaccatelle Lunghe

Ideal Sauce: This pasta shape works best with tomato sauce, like in the classic dish called spaccatelle alla Norma, which also uses eggplant. Try this longer version with our Sugo di Pomodoro or Roasted Red Pepper Pesto. And don’t forget the Ricotta!

Pile of cooked spaghetti in a white bowl with tomato sauce.

Spaghetti

Name Meaning: “Twine” or “string”

Origin: Sicily

Varieties: Farm Boy™ Spaghetti

Ideal Sauce: The classic, the legend—chances are, this pasta shape was the first you’ve ever encountered! Its long, round noodles are perfect for twirling, and there is no sauce that it doesn’t work with. From butter or oil-based sauces to cheesy, creamy ones, to hearty meat and tangy tomato sauces, this pasta shape is a true culinary chameleon! 

Recipe to Try: Lemony Ricotta, Spinach, and Sundried Tomato Pasta

Chicken tagliatelle in creamy tomato sauce.

Tagliatelle

Name Meaning: “To cut”

Origin: Emilia-Romagna region (northern Italy)

Varieties: Farm Boy™ Tagliatelle, Farm Boy™ Whole Wheat Tagliatelle

Ideal Sauce: Originally from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, this ribbon-like pasta shape is often confused with fettuccine. Perfect for catching rich, hearty sauces made with meat or cream, try them with our Farm Boy™ Fresh Meat Pasta Sauce or whip up your own ragù!

Recipe to Try: Creamy Pumpkin and Chicken Tagliatelle

Bowl of Farm Boy Fresh Tortellini with a cream sauce, peas, and pancetta.

Tortellini

Name Meaning: “Cake” or “pie”

Origin: Bologna and/or Modena

Varieties: Farm Boy™ Fresh Beef Tortellini, Farm Boy™ Fresh Cheese Tortellini, Farm Boy™ Fresh Gluten-Free Cheese Tortellini

Ideal Sauce: Like ravioli, tortellini knows that it’s what’s on the inside that counts. This pasta shape is beautiful in nourishing soup recipes, and also works well with yummy cream sauces, like our Farm Boy™ Fresh Alfredo Pasta Sauce.

Recipe to Try: Creamy Tortellini with Peas and Pancetta


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