For all the crossword lovers, this article will tell you something that will pique your interest but first count how many pasta types you can name? 1,2,3…….Not many right? Did you know that there are about 50 types of pasta found in the world?
So, next time you are solving your favourite crossword puzzle and don’t know the type of pasta that should fit. Then this article has got you covered.
50 Types Of Pasta Crossword Clue You Might Not Know
As a kid, we all loved and still love eating pasta. And as you grow older, it becomes even better since now, there are so many types of pasta out there. And the best part is that all those different types of pasta create such a wide range of flavors and tastes. Plus, for crossword fans, this article is a double treat for them.
1. Cannelloni
Cannelloni is a hollowed-out tube pasta, it looks like rigatoni but is smaller in size hence the name shorter tube pasta; this type of pasta takes around 12 minutes to cook depending on your choice of thickness. This pasta originated in Italy at the end of 18 century and started to become popular in the 19th century.
It might seem that cannelloni has a long history but it came into cookbooks in the 20th century. It is very highly likely for it to appear on crosswords looking for a 10 letter pasta name.
2. Penne
This pasta has a flat, straight tube shape and comes in both smooth and ridged varieties; it usually takes around 10 minutes to cook but has two variations: whole wheat penne (which takes longer) and eggless penne (which takes lesser time).
Penne is one of the popular types of pasta that is consumed a lot. It was founded in 1865 by Giovanni Battista Capurro, a pasta maker from San Martino d’Albaro. Now, about its relation to crosswords it’s highly likely for it to appear while looking for 5 letters of pasta.
3. Spaghetti
The word spaghetti was first used in 1849 in Eliza Acton’s Modern Cookery. It comes from the Italian word spaghetto, meaning thin string. Although some historians believe pasta originated in Italy, many are convinced Marco Polo brought it back from his epic voyage to China. As the earliest known pasta was made from rice flour, which is common in the east.
This is the most common type of pasta, but what makes it such a popular choice? Spaghetti can be served with any sauce and preparation time is also very less; usually, spaghetti takes around 10-15 minutes to cook. It has a high probability to appear on crosswords so watch out for them.
4. Macaroni
This pasta type is also known as elbow or maccheroni and is a tube shaped pasta that comes in different sizes. Like spaghetti, it can be eaten with any sauce but the preparation time is lower than Spaghetti; usually, macaroni takes around 7-10 minutes to cook which makes it a very popular choice.
It is highly likely to be used for an 8 letter pasta in the crossword puzzle. Many of us love eating Mac and cheese. Did you know that at the end of the Great Depression, this dish becomes so popular in the west due to its low cost.
5. Ziti
Ziti looks like penne pasta but with longer lines and bigger sizes, these types of pasta come in both rigid and nonrigid varieties; this pasta is also known by its name Fusilli lunghi. It takes around 10 minutes to cook depending on the brand/thickness of your choice. It has a high probability to appear on crosswords when looking for a 5 letter pasta. So watch out for them.
6. Orzo
Orzo looks like rice but is shaped like a tiny tube of pasta; it usually takes around 20 minutes to cook and has a very light taste. Whole-wheat orzo has more fiber and protein making it the healthier choice. It is not very common but becomes more obvious when solving crossword puzzles for 7 letter pasta names.
7. Rotini
Rotini is shaped like a corkscrew, it has ridges that look like spaghetti. There are many ways you can use rotini for your meals. It usually takes around 12-15 minutes to cook and is considered healthy for its high fiber content. It is sometimes used in crossword puzzles looking for an 8 letter pasta name.
8. Ravioli
Ravioli are a type of stuffed pasta, usually served with a sauce and has a high probability to appear on crosswords. The most common filling for this pasta is cheese but it can also have other fillings such as meat or vegetables. Ravioli was first mentioned in the 14th century, and this word was taken from an old Italian word riavvolgere, meaning “to wrap”.
Generally, ravioli takes around 10 minutes to cook depending on the size of the ravioli. It’s not that common to appear on crosswords but it’s better to know about it.
9. Capelli D’Angelo
It is also known as angel hair pasta is the thinnest type of pasta out there, it can be enclosed in a ball shape or spread around itself to resemble a nest. It is commonly used in seafood dishes and needs only 2-3 minutes of boiling time. The probability it appears on a crossword is very low, so next time when solving a crossword with angel hair pasta in it be very careful.
10. Fusilli
This is the spiral type of pasta that is available in different sizes; some are thicker than others, but it all depends on your personal preference. It also has two varieties: Col Fondo (meaning hollow) and Col Buco (meaning hole). The hollow variety can be used to stuff vegetables or meat while the whole variety can be used for casseroles or soups.
11. Rigatoni
Rigatoni comes in large, ridged tubes and can either be smooth or have grooves on the outside; it is one of the thickest types of spaghetti that takes 10-15 minutes to cook. It can be used in a variety of dishes and is also the most common type of pasta that appears on crosswords.
12. Bucatini
Bucatini resembles spaghetti but with an extra hole running through its center; this pasta is popularly known as perciatelli when served without eggs otherwise if eggs are added then it becomes bucatini all’amatriciana. It is a narrow type of spaghetti that takes around 10-15 minutes to cook and has a probability to appear on crosswords.
13. Casarecce
This is also known as ‘little hats’ and is the most recent type of pasta; it comes in twist shapes and can be served with seafood or cream-based sauces. This pasta usually takes around 8-10 minutes to cook but may vary depending on the size of the pasta.
14. Orecchiette
It looks like little ear cups and mostly resembles cavatelli, but it has a raised edge that helps hold its sauce better than cavatelli does; it can either be smooth or ridged and is generally served with any meat sauce. This type of pasta takes around 10 minutes to cook and is a very common pasta found on crosswords
15. Fettuccine
Fettuccine looks like tagliatelle but it has a flat shape instead of the rounder one, the only difference between the two kinds of pasta is that fettuccine has a wider grooved edge whereas tagliatelle doesn’t have ridges at all; it also comes in a variety of thicknesses just like tagliatelle or pappardelle. It usually takes around 12 minutes to cook but varies from brand to brand.
16. Tortellini
Tortellini is another type of filled pasta that is available in both chicken and cheese varieties; it resembles ravioli but comes in a crescent shape instead of being round like ravioli; it also has ridges around its edges which help attach itself to the sauce better than plain shaped pasta do. It takes around 4-5 minutes to cook and needs very little water for cooking.
17. Noodles
Noodles are the type of pasta that is made from flour and water; they can be either curly, flat, or filled. This type of pasta has a much lower nutritional value than any other type of pasta do and isn’t considered to be a real type of pasta.
There are many different varieties for this kind including somen, udon, soba, and ramen. Please keep in mind that when you are given the clue of noodles on crosswords then it can be any one of its varieties mentioned above.
18. Campanelle
Campanelle resembles campanula’s bell shape hence its name, this type of pasta looks similar to farfalle only that its edges are more pointy compared to farfalle’s rounded ones; it also has two varieties: one with ridges and the other without. It takes around 12 minutes to cook depending on its thickness.
19. Farfalle
Farfalle resemble bow-ties but have straight-edged instead of curved edges, this pasta is also known as butterfly-shaped which makes it very easy to see the shape; it does not come in different varieties like campanelle (that comes in rigid or nonrigid) but depend only on the brand that you are buying from. This type of pasta usually takes 10 minutes to cook and can be served with cream sauces or meat-based sauces.
20. Cappellini
Cappellini have straight edges just like farfalle but are square, this makes it look very similar to fusilli only that its square-shaped instead of being cylindrical; usually, Cappellini comes in two varieties one with ridges and the other without ridges making it very easy to spot which type you are buying from your local supermarket. This pasta takes around 12 minutes to cook depending on the brand/size you are buying.
21. Rotelle
Rotelle is another type of waggon wheel-shaped pasta, it resembles campanelle but has more pointy edges than Campanella making it look very similar to fusilli; it also comes in two varieties: non rigid and ridged. It takes around 10 minutes to cook depending on the thickness of the rotelle.
22. Penne Rigate
Penne rigate has ridges all over its sides, these ridges hold onto chunky sauces better than straight-edged pasta can due to their curve which holds into the thicker sauce that contains chunks instead of making the thinner sauce that glides through the curves; this type of pasta takes 9 minutes to cook but can vary thus taking the time to cook farfalle which is around 10 minutes.
23. Conchiglie
Conchillies has a very similar appearance to rotelle except that rotelle is more round than conchillies hence the name wheel-shaped pasta, this type of pasta usually takes 9 minutes to cook depending on the size/brand you are using from your local supermarket.
24. Oblongs
Oblongs look like macaroni because of their cylindrical shape but with longer lines instead of being short and circular, this type of pasta comes both in rigid and nonrigid varieties just like penne rigate making it very easy for crossword makers to spot on crosswords; it also takes around 9 minutes to cook depending on the brand/thickness of your choice.
25. Fusilli lunghi
Fusilli is another type of wagon wheel-shaped pasta but with much longer lines than rotelle making it look more cylindrical than flat, it also takes around 9 minutes to cook depending on the thickness/brand you are choosing from.
26. Lasagna
Lasagna is a very popular dish served in American-Italian dinners. It is a dish made of many layers of pasta, meat, sauce, and melted cheese. It has a very straight and flat edge which makes it look like fettuccine; this type of pasta takes around 10 minutes to cook depending on the thickness/brand you are choosing.
Interestingly, researchers found a cookbook with lasagna recipes in Britain which belongs from the 1390s. It is likely the very first lasagna. If you get a crossword for a 7 letter pasta dish, keep lasagna in your mind.
28. Vermicelli
Vermicelli is very similar to spaghetti with the only difference being its width, it’s usually thinner than spaghetti hence the name thin pasta; this type of pasta takes around 8 minutes to cook depending on your choice of thickness.
29. Bavette
Bavette is very similar to tagliatelle in appearance but has a much flatter edge than tagliatelle making it look more like pappardelle, the difference between bavette and tagliatelle is that bavette does not have any curl or swirl texture on its sides which makes it easy for crossword makers to spot this type of pasta; bavette takes around 10 minutes to cook depending on your choice of thickness.
30. Bigoli
Bigoli is another type of thick spaghetti-like pasta but with much thicker walls than spaghetti making it look more cylindrical than long; this type of pasta takes around 10 minutes to cook depending on your choice of thickness.
31. Barbine
Barbie is a very short and round pasta that looks like small tubes of macaroni or any tube-shaped pasta; this type of pasta takes around 9 minutes to cook depending on your choice of thickness.
32. Pappardelle
Pappardelle is a very large, wavy, and flat pasta. It is mostly used for dishes that require thick sauce, it comes in both rigid and nonrigid varieties just like lasagna; this type of pasta takes around 10 minutes to cook depending on the thickness/brand you are using.
33. Cavatelli
Cavatelli is a very short, ridged pasta that looks like small seashells hence its name; this type of pasta takes around 9 minutes to cook depending on your choice of thickness.
34. Torchio
Torchio is very similar to fusilli lunghi because of its cylindrical shape but instead of having long lines, it has small ridges all over its sides giving the name twisty pasta; this type of pasta takes around 9 minutes to cook.
35. Cavatappi
Cavatappi is a very short, spiral-shaped pasta that looks like corkscrews hence its name; this type of pasta takes around 10 minutes to cook depending on your choice of thickness.
36. Strozzapreti
Strozzapreti is noodles made out of green dough which is twisted into a ball-like shape with two ends sticking outwards creating an X-Shaped appearance; this type of pasta takes around 8-9 minutes to cook depending on your choice of thickness.
37. Ditalini
Ditalini is another type of short tube-shaped pasta; this type of pasta takes around 9 minutes to cook depending on the brand/thickness you are using from your local supermarket.
38. Tagliatelle
Tagliatelle is a very large, flat spaghetti-like pasta just like lasagna; this type of pasta takes around 10 minutes to cook depending on the thickness/brand you are using.
39. Ciaffagnoni
Ciaffagnoni is another short tube-shaped pasta that looks like penne or macaroni or any long cylindrical shape pasta with its ends cut off giving it an interesting look hence its name ciaffagnoni; this type of pasta takes around 9 minutes to cook depending on your choice of thickness.
40. Farfalle tonde
Farfalle tonde is another type of wagon wheel-shaped pasta, the difference between this type of pasta and fusilli lunghi is that farfalle tonde does not have any ridges on its sides giving it the smooth cylindrical look; this type of pasta takes around 9-10 minutes to cook depending on the thickness/brand you are using.
41. Maltagliati
Maltagliati is noodles cut into complicated shapes to make them look like badly made pieces of paper hence its name maltagliati; this type of pasta takes around 9-10 minutes to cook depending on the thickness/brand you are using.
42. Bucatini
Bucatini is another very long spaghetti-like noodle that comes in both rigid and nonrigid varieties just like lasagna but instead of being completely circular, it has a slight S-shaped curve giving it the strong spaghetti look; this type of pasta takes around 8 minutes 30 seconds to cook depending on your choice of thickness.
43. Corallini
Corallini is another short tube-shaped pasta that looks like penne or macaroni or any long cylindrical shape pasta with its ends cut off giving it an interesting look hence its name coralline; this type of pasta takes around 10 minutes to cook.
44. Orecchiette
Orecchiette is a small, disk-shaped pasta shape with a slightly concave center that resembles the ear or rim of a hat hence its name orecchiette; this type of pasta takes around 9 minutes to cook.
45. Orzo
Orzo is very similar to riso because it is rice-shaped but instead of being round like riso, it has an X-Shaped impression just like the shape of the word “X” thus giving it the name orzo which means barley in Italian; this type of pasta takes around 8 minutes 30 seconds to cook depending on your choice of thickness/brand you are using.
46. Insalatonde
Insalatonde is a very large, flat spaghetti-like pasta that comes in both rigid and nonrigid varieties just like lasagna; this type of pasta takes around 10 minutes to cook depending on the thickness/brand you are using.
47. Gnocchetti Sardi
Gnocchetti Sardi is a small, coin-shaped pasta that looks like gnocchi but instead of being potato-shaped, it is more disk-shaped with its edges ruffled up giving it an interesting look hence its name gnocchetti Sardi; this type of pasta takes around 8 minutes 30 seconds to cook depending on your choice of thickness.
48. Orzo perlato
Orzo perlato is another version of orzo which has been polished by hand to make the rice grains smaller but not as much as riso thus giving it a very glossy finish and a smoother texture when cooked; this type of pasta takes around 10 minutes to cook.
49. Riso
Riso is a small, oval-shaped pasta that is very similar to orzo but instead of being disk-shaped, it has a rounded top and long edges giving it the rice look hence its name riso; this type of pasta takes around 9 minutes to cook depending on your choice of thickness.
50. Bucatini tufa
Bucatini tufa is another type of wagon wheel-shaped pasta, the difference between this type of pasta and fusilli lunghi is that bucatini tufa does not have any ridges on its sides giving it the smooth cylindrical look; this type of pasta takes around 10 minutes to cook depending on the thickness/brand you are using.
Types Of Pasta Crossword Clue – Conclusion
The pasta world is pretty big and intriguing. All those crossword fans can get to know about pasta and its likelihood of appearing. It also depends on the place you live, at least remember 5 to 8 common pastas found. Just remember it’s more of a challenge than an enjoyment! Have fun and yummy… pasta!
Reference
- https://www.google.fi/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwihp73MxZr1AhXYSfEDHdHPBCcQFnoECAgQAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foodnetwork.ca%2Ffun-with-food%2Fphotos%2Ffacts-you-didnt-know-about-pasta%2F&usg=AOvVaw2Ir3YmEEmJZaUICswiXlQm
- https://garrubbo.com/italian-food/about-ziti-al-forno-baked-ziti/
- https://www.clearspring.co.uk/blogs/news/12237057-the-difference-between-noodles-pasta