# What is your favorite and least-favorite shape of pasta? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 31, 2017, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-and-least-favorite-shape-of-pasta/778674 "2017-01-31T17:59:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-and-least-favorite-shape-of-pasta/778674/41 "2017-01-31T23:20:16Z")
> [@tracer](#): > > Nobody has mentioned Scooby-Doo shaped Kraft Macaroni and Cheese yet… Ah, yes, the classic Calabrian _scubidubatini al formaggio_. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-and-least-favorite-shape-of-pasta/778674/42 "2017-01-31T23:38:22Z")
My favorite is ziti. My least favorite is thin spaghetti. (I’ve never tried angel hair, but since my complaint about thin spaghetti is that it’s too thin, I’m guessing angel hair would be worse.) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-and-least-favorite-shape-of-pasta/778674/43 "2017-02-01T00:47:42Z")
Per the OP, _ditalini_ is what I use to make macaroni salad. Don’t really use it much otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-and-least-favorite-shape-of-pasta/778674/44 "2017-02-01T00:56:04Z")
I like seashells, nice and soft, not hard to eat like normal spaghetti is (ye olde twirling and twirling it on a spoon with a fork trick). ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-and-least-favorite-shape-of-pasta/778674/45 "2017-02-01T02:40:42Z")
> [@Dendarii\_Dame](#): > > My favorite is ziti. My least favorite is thin spaghetti. (I’ve never tried angel hair, but since my complaint about thin spaghetti is that it’s too thin, I’m guessing angel hair would be worse.) But thin is in! ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-and-least-favorite-shape-of-pasta/778674/46 "2017-02-01T05:28:34Z")
I’ll eat any pasta, but may favorite is penne rigati, flowed closely by thin spaghetti. On the other hand, I had fettucini Alfredo tonight and Lord, it was good. Least favorite: campanelle and ruote (wagon wheels). Too weird. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-and-least-favorite-shape-of-pasta/778674/47 "2017-02-01T06:07:12Z")
Alphabet shaped is still big in my household. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-and-least-favorite-shape-of-pasta/778674/48 "2017-02-01T06:57:19Z")
I’m such a philistine, I don’t know what most of these pastas are. This site helps. > **[27 Types of Pasta and Their Uses](https://www.allrecipes.com/article/types-of-pasta/)** > > Discover 27 different types of pasta to pair with sauces, soups, and salads. I’d say manicotti is my favorite. Stuffed with cheese and meat, that is the best. No idea about the worst. Probably bow tie. Sauce doesn’t stick to bow tie. ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-and-least-favorite-shape-of-pasta/778674/49 "2017-02-01T07:13:09Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Least favorite is orzo. Useless stuff. Bite your tongue! Orzo is perfect for cold Mediterranean style pasta salads. It’s also great for camping/backpacking too because it takes less time to cook than larger pastas. Least favorite: lasagna. It’s too big and awful when it’s undercooked, worse when it’s overcooked, and it messes up the sauce-cheese-pasta ratio. Favorite: Fusilli. Love the way it holds sauce. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-and-least-favorite-shape-of-pasta/778674/50 "2017-02-01T09:24:52Z")
Tough one. Pasta = good, and the different shapes serve different purposes, but generally: I like the long noodle type more than the shorter shapes, and of the long noodles I tend to use Thin Spaghetti the most. Angle Hair is great with just a thin tomato sauce, and linguini is great in the winter with a Bolognese sauce or _con vongole_. Of the shapes, I probably care the least for fusilli. Take that, Fusilli Jerry! ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-and-least-favorite-shape-of-pasta/778674/51 "2017-02-01T13:43:25Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > Shells are a favorite, angel hair is not. I love the way shells hold stuff… but how do you keep them from nesting inside each other? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-and-least-favorite-shape-of-pasta/778674/52 "2017-02-01T14:18:46Z")
Nowadays I like _linguine_ or plain _spaghetti_. Other shapes thend to fall off the fork too easily. When I was a kid, though, I liked _rotin I_ – the store we went to sold these in boxes marked “wagon wheels” (with pictures of early settlers in covered wagons) or “space wheels” (in boxes with pictures of Von Braun-style space stations) [![](http://www.theimaginaryworld.com/sic47.jpg) ](http://www.theimaginaryworld.com/sic47.jpg) > **[1950's La Rosa Space Wheels Pasta Food Box Outerspace Rocket Space Station |...](https://www.ebay.ie/itm/1950s-La-Rosa-Space-Wheels-Pasta-Food-Box-Outerspace-Rocket-Space-Station-/311782433435?hash=item4897ae629b:g:844AAOSwqu9VN85a)** > > 1950's La Rosa Space Wheels Pasta Food Box Outerspace Rocket Space Station | Collectibles, Historical Memorabilia, Astronauts & Space Travel | eBay! [![](http://www.theimaginaryworld.com/poloh03.jpg) ](http://www.theimaginaryworld.com/poloh03.jpg) There were cutouts on the back! [![](http://www.theimaginaryworld.com/poloh04.jpg) ](http://www.theimaginaryworld.com/poloh04.jpg) [![](http://www.theimaginaryworld.com/sic48.jpg) ](http://www.theimaginaryworld.com/sic48.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-and-least-favorite-shape-of-pasta/778674/53 "2017-02-01T14:21:14Z")
Buitoni also made other shapes – cars, spacemen, and Popeye. I don’t recall seeing these, only the re-imagined Rotini [![](http://www.theimaginaryworld.com/sic41.jpg) ](http://www.theimaginaryworld.com/sic41.jpg) [![](http://www.theimaginaryworld.com/sic42.jpg) ](http://www.theimaginaryworld.com/sic42.jpg) [![](http://www.theimaginaryworld.com/sic45.jpg) ](http://www.theimaginaryworld.com/sic45.jpg) [![](http://www.theimaginaryworld.com/sic46.jpg) ](http://www.theimaginaryworld.com/sic46.jpg) [![](http://www.theimaginaryworld.com/sic43.jpg) ](http://www.theimaginaryworld.com/sic43.jpg) [![](http://www.theimaginaryworld.com/sic44.jpg) ](http://www.theimaginaryworld.com/sic44.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-and-least-favorite-shape-of-pasta/778674/54 "2017-02-01T14:22:07Z")
If you want the “fancy” Italian name for wagon wheels, it’s _rotelle_ or _ruote_. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-and-least-favorite-shape-of-pasta/778674/55 "2017-02-01T14:27:55Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I love the way shells hold stuff… but how do you keep them from nesting inside each other? Sometimes that works to hold the clam sauce (or tuna, or broccoli, etc) into a delicious pocket. I don’t mind the nesting too much. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-and-least-favorite-shape-of-pasta/778674/56 "2017-02-01T14:29:28Z")
Favourite: Tagliatelle Least Favourite: Conchiglie - I asociate them with crappy pasta salads. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-and-least-favorite-shape-of-pasta/778674/57 "2017-02-01T14:54:42Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > If you want the “fancy” Italian name for wagon wheels, it’s _rotelle_ or _ruote_. It’s in my post. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-and-least-favorite-shape-of-pasta/778674/58 "2017-02-01T15:04:18Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > It’s in my post. I only see rotini in your post, which is a type of twisted/spiral pasta. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-and-least-favorite-shape-of-pasta/778674/59 "2017-02-01T15:16:29Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I only see rotini in your post, which is a type of twisted/spiral pasta. Sorry – I must’ve misinterpreted. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-and-least-favorite-shape-of-pasta/778674/60 "2017-02-01T17:06:11Z")
Not a big fan of ziti… always seem to be swallowing too much air. (Again, maybe I use the wrong kinds of sauce…) Favorite very much depends on my mood and such, but I’m definitely a fan of rotini. Not too big, not too small, seems to go well with the kinds of sauce I like to make. Also spaghetti of course. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-and-least-favorite-shape-of-pasta/778674.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-and-least-favorite-shape-of-pasta/778674.md?page=4)