Recipes  

you_are_are Home » Recipes » 8 Types of Pasta to Make at Home

8 Types of Pasta to Make at Home

Discover these eight must-try homemade pasta recipes, from a rustic tagliatelle to a delicate stuffed agnolotti. Each with their own unique shape, texture and flavour, they’re perfect for various types of dishes, either fancy or simple.

1. Spaghettoni

Spaghettoni is spaghetti’s thicker cousin. While some brands do offer a dried version of this pasta, it definitely isn’t as readily available in grocery stores as spaghetti (or the thinner spaghettini). Which is why making it at home makes for a great project! You’ll need a pasta maker with the correct die shape for this; hand rolling can’t create that perfectly round shape of this particular pasta. The noodles hold up well to heartier, richer sauces, and are great in a tasty cacio e pepe recipe.

2. Tagliatelle

This pasta consists of a long flat noodle, thinner than pappardelle but wider than fettuccine. To make the noodles, simply roll out a thin sheet of dough, using the lasagna die of your pasta maker, or a rolling mill, either a manual version or a stand mixer attachment. Then, using a chef’s knife or a pizza cutter, cut them about ½-inch (1 cm) thick.

Different widths

If you want to make fettuccine or pappardelle at home, follow the same method, but cut the former about 1/4-inch (0.6 cm) thick and the latter 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick.

3. Penne

Penne is a tubular pasta that is extremely common and rather popular. Dried, store-bought versions are perfect tubes with ridges and an angled cut; homemade versions look different, as the extruded pasta can’t be sliced at an angle. Making tubes by hand is pretty much impossible, which is why a pasta maker with a penne die is key. Water is the usual liquid used in the dough, but try switching it up with beet juice for a colourful noodle!

9221.jpg
Cooking Projects

Fresh Beet Penne

4. Gnocchi

It may be tempting to buy pre-made gnocchi at the supermarket, and they’re definitely a great ingredient in a quick and easy weeknight dish. But if you have some time on your hands, homemade gnocchi is a great culinary project. So many versions exist: potato based, ricotta versions, Roman style (which are made with semolina and shaped into discs), Parisian style (with a choux pastry base), squash gnocchi, beet gnocchi… You can also have fun with shapes and textures! You can either leave them plain and cut into small pillows, or you can use a fork to create ridges that are great for catching sauces; no wooden gnocchi board required.

7220.jpg
Batch Cooking

Potato Gnocchi

5. Ravioli

Now, let’s get into filled pasta! Ravioli is a well known dish, and can be made into square or round parcels. Common fillings include meat, cheese, mushrooms and squash. You’ll need a large-surfaced sheet of dough here, so it’s best to roll it out by hand using a rolling mill; a lasagna sheet extruded from the pasta maker won’t be wide enough for your needs. This is the case for all filled pasta.

6. Tortellini

Tortellini has a specific ring-like shape and can be stuffed with any filling, like cheese, vegetables, seafood or meat. It makes for a great ingredient in pasta salad, but it’s usually served with a sauce or in a broth (in brodo).

Did you know?

Tortellini (with the -ini suffix) is the smallest of the ring-shaped pasta. Tortelli (with the -elli suffix) is actually the standard size, even though you may not have heard of it! There’s also the larger tortelloni, with an -oni suffix.

7. Mezzelune

Mezzelune is similar to ravioli but shaped into half-moons, hence the name. You simply roll out your dough, and then use a cookie cutter to cut it into circles, which are then filled and folded over in half. It can be served in a butter sauce or a hot broth.

8. Agnolotti

For something fancier that’s sure to impress your guests, agnolotti is a square- or rectangular-shaped pasta that has a distinctive pocket-like fold, and then pinched or sealed shut. To ensure an even texture when the dough is folded over and a better seal, the filling for this pasta should ideally be completely smooth; squash is therefore a perfect filling! It’s also best served with a simple sauce, like the porcini sauce here.

Want to learn how to use your electric pasta maker to its fullest? Be sure to read our practical guide: