Beyond spaghetti: Discovering unconventional pasta varieties

Today (Oct 25) is World Pasta Day, a day when we celebrate one of the most delicious carbs known to mankind.

Did you know that there are hundreds of pasta shapes around the world aside from spaghetti? Here are six less common pasta types you might not know about.

Fettuccine

What it reminds us of: Linguine, except broader and flatter. Basically the Italian version of mee pok.

Eat it with: Thick and dense sauces like bolognese, carbonara, alfredo sauce, and meat sauces.

Calamarata

What it reminds us of: Jack 'n Jill Roller Coaster snacks, except these are springy instead of crunchy. And much healthier. Also calamari, which is where this pasta gets its name from; the name "calamarata" refers to the pasta's resemblance to calamari rings.

Eat it with: Seafood (especially squid) and chopped vegetables like tomatoes or zucchini.

Conchiglie

What it reminds us of: Sea shells. Specifically, conch shells, which this pasta is named after due to its conch-like shape. Conchiglie-shaped pasta actually comes in a few variants depending on its size, with the smallest size referred to as "conchigliette" while the largest is called "conchiglioni".

Eat it with: Heavy meat or cream sauces. If you're using the large conchiglioni pasta, you can also stuff them with meat and bake them.

Orzo

What it reminds us of: Large grains of rice. However, while it may look like rice, orzo has a creamier texture than rice grains and requires the use of oil, butter or sauces to prevent it from clumping during meal prep.

Eat it with: Soups and pasta salads.

Rotelle

What it reminds us of: Wheels from the Hot Wheels cars we used to play with as kids. Or (extremely) mini-F1 car tyres.

Eat it with: Heavy meat, seafood, cheese or cream sauces.

Farfalle

What it reminds us of: Fancy bow ties. Surprisingly, this pasta doesn't actually take its name from fancy clothing; the name "farfalle" translates to "butterflies". It still looks more like bow ties than butterflies to us though.

Eat it with: Fresh tomato sauces or cream-based sauces like creamy mushroom sauce and classic alfredo sauce. Farfalle is also commonly served with grilled vegetables, chicken and lean meats.

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This article was first published in Wonderwall.sg.