Pasta Rods Category

Rods are best if they're served immediately after being cooked. If you're planning to serve a lot of people, consider using small pasta tubes or shapes.

angel hair pasta

Angel hair pasta is like spaghetti, only the rods are very thin. It's usually served in a broth or with very thin and delicate sauces.

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bigoli

This Venetian pasta resembles thick spaghetti, only it has a rough surface to better absorb flavorful sauces. It's good with shellfish, beans, or hearty meat sauces.

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capellini

These are thin rods of Italian pasta, just a bit thicker than angel hair pasta. They're normally served in a broth or with a very light sauce.

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chitarra

These pasta rods resemble spaghetti, only their cross-sections are square instead of round. They're named after the guitar strings that were traditionally used to cut the pasta.

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ciriole

A specialty of the Umbrian region of Italy, this is a ribbon of pasta that's been twisted and stretched until it's a long, thin rod, roughly twice the diameter of spaghetti.

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fedelini

These Italian pasta rods are just a bit thicker than vermicelli. They're usually served with a very light sauce, or broken up and served in a broth.

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mparrettai

This unusual variety of Italian pasta consists of poorly wrapped straws of dough, about 8 inches long.

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Pasta Rods

Long strands of pasta are challenging to eat, and that's part of their charm. Medium-sized rods like spaghetti are normally served with light tomato-based sauces. Thin rods like angel hair pasta and vermicelli work best in broths or with thin sauces, while thicker rods like perciatelli go well with heavier, chunkier sauces. Rods are best if they're served immediately after being cooked. If you're planning to serve a lot of people, consider using small pasta tubes or shapes.

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spaghetti

The most popular pasta variety, spaghetti (Italian for "little strings") works best with light tomato or cream sauces. Don't use it in pasta salads.

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spaghettini

This is thin type of spaghetti.

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vermicelli

Vermicelli (Italian for "little worms") is similar to spaghetti, only with very thin strands. Serve it with very light sauces, or break up the rods and serve the pieces in a broth.

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vermicelloni

This Italian pasta is a thick version of vermicelli, that's often served with hearty meat sauces. It's hard to find in the United States.

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