Each region in Italy has its own variation of pasta dishes, resulting in thousands of types of pasta with different origins. From bucatini to tortellini, this is the pasta lover’s guide to Italy.
Farfalle
Originating from the Emilia-Romagna & Lombardy regions of northwest Italy, farfalle is the popular bow-tie shaped pasta. It is said that it was invented by housewives who wanted to use up the extra past dough they had after making filled cappelletti pasta. Due to its shape, this sturdy pasta gets its name from the Italian word for ‘butterflies’ and goes well with thick sauces. It also makes great cold pasta salad.
Popular Italian dishes: Farfalle alla cremasca, made with amaretti, butter, and sage.
Tortellini
Tortellini is a well-known pasta from the Emilia region of Italy. Another name for it is ombelico, the Italian word for belly button. Legend has it, a small village chef (near Bologna,) was inspired by a beautiful woman and made a pasta shaped like her belly button. Tortellini is typically stuffed with cheese or meats and served with a light sauce or broth.
Popular Italian dish: Tortellini en brodo, which is served in a light broth.
Orecchiette
Hailing from Puglia, in the “heel” of Italy’s southwest region, orecchiette is handmade pasta with a distinct thumbprint shaped like little ears, ideal for holding hearty sauces.
Popular dish: Orecchiette with broccoli rabe and sausage.
Strozzapreti
Literally translating to ‘priest-choker,’ strozzapreti is a hand-rolled pasta from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Legend is that hungry priests would eat this irregular-shaped pasta so fast they would choke on it, giving strozzapreti its name.
Popular dish: Strozzapreti Bolognese with lamb and tomatoes.
Ziti
Ziti gets its name from zita, the Italian word for ‘bride’ and is commonly served at weddings in southern Italy. This long, tubular shaped pasta is best served with thick ragus and sauces.
Popular dish: Ziti alla Genovese– an onion-based sauce with tender meat, carrots and celery.
Spaghetti
Everyone knows this long, thin cylindrical shaped pasta that is ideal for twirling around your fork. Spaghetti is thought to have originated in Sicily around the 12th century and spread throughout Italy.
Popular dishes: Spaghetti alla carbonara, made with egg, cheese, and pork. Also, spaghetti al pomodoro & spaghetti alla puttanesca. In Sicily, one of the most popular dishes is spaghetti with clams & garlic.
Bucatini
From the central Italian region of Lazio, bucatini is a cylindrical pasta with a hollow center and gets its name from the Italian term ‘buco’ meaning ‘hole.’ Similar to macaroni, bucatini holds up great to thick and creamy sauces as well as in baked dishes.
Popular dishes: Bucatini all’Amatriciana, a pork and tomato-based sauce & Bucatini Carbonara combining pancetta, egg yolks & cheese.
Gigli
From the Italian word for lily, gigli has ruffled edges and a fluted shape resembling the flower. Gigli originates from Tuscany, in central Italy and dates back to the Renaissance.
Popular dish: Gigli with pumpkin and pancetta.
Penne
From the southern Italian region of Campania, penne is cut diagonally to resemble a quill. Penne can have a smooth or ridged finish, referred to a penne rigate and holds up well to thick and hearty sauces.
Popular dish: Penne all’Arrabbiata, with tomatoes, cheese, and red pepper flakes.
Ready to go taste some of these dishes? Browse Italy tours and Italy vacation packages. We also have a website dedicated to Italy travel with travel tips & a section of best Italy tours where you can browse the most reputable tour companies that offer trips to Italy.
A pasta lover’s guide to Italy is the perfect companion to our broader guide on Best Food Cities in Italy. These two resources together give you everything you need for a food-focused Italian journey.
