Your ultimate guide to types of pasta

Pasta is a midweek staple, but do you know your fusilli from your farfalle? Discover new types of pasta to try, from classics like spaghetti and penne to unique twists like conchiglioni and spiralotti. Then put them to delicious use in our easy recipe ideas.

Food Editor

Emily Lambe

Whether you’re making a classic carbonara or a cosy pasta bake, trying new types of pasta can take your dish to the next level. Our carefully crafted pasta is made by the Felicetti family in the Italian Alps, using Alpine spring water and specially selected durum wheat semolina. Discover our top pasta shapes to try and find plenty of pasta-tastic recipe inspiration.

Find your perfect sauce Pasta recipes

Collection Single Grain Pasta

Top types of pasta

Find the right pasta shape for your recipe and stock up on these store cupboard staples.

Penne

A true classic, a bag of penne goes a long way. This extruded tubular pasta, cut at an angle, is great for pasta bakes, hearty pasta salads, or simply stirring through our best tomato sauce. The Felicetti family makes our penne using a heritage recipe they’ve perfected since 1908.

See our penne

Fusilli

Fusilli is a corkscrew pasta shape hailing from southern Italy. Rich sauces cling to the nooks and crannies in the spiral shape, like in our family-friendly cheesy ham and pea pasta bake. Another popular variety, our Tri-Colore Fusilli is made with dried tomatoes and spinach.

See our fusilli

Rigatoni

Larger than penne and ziti, this tubular pasta is known for the ridges along its length, making it the ideal shape for holding onto heavy tomato sauces. Our rigatoni is made with durum wheat semolina and cut with a No. 179 bronze die. Use a pack in our melty slow cooker meatball pasta bake.

See our rigatoni

Spaghetti

These long, thin pasta strands are a classic in Italian cooking. This versatile pasta cooks quickly and makes a great weeknight option, like in our flavourful puttanesca spaghetti, which comes together in just 15 minutes.

See our spaghetti

Linguine

While it’s long like spaghetti, linguine is wider and flatter in shape. Originating in the city of Genoa, linguine pairs well with creamy sauces. Try our courgette carbonara recipe with a fiery kick from hot Calabrian Chilli Paste.

See our linguine

Messicani

Messicani is a type of Italian pasta made by short-cutting the dough into small, circular discs. The Felicetti family makes our messicani in the Italian Alps using a No. 181 bronze die. Try it in our lemony leek and petit pois pasta with ricotta, a fresh, easy five-ingredient dinner.

See our messicani

Tagliatelle

Originating in the Emilia-Romagna and Marche regions of Italy, tagliatelle is made into long, thin ribbons, wider than linguine. Made with only durum wheat semolina, eggs, and Alpine water, our tagliatelle is crafted using a No. 90 bronze die. Use it in our chicken and ricotta meatball tagliatelle with fresh veggies and vibrant green pesto.

See our tagliatelle

Fiorelli

The light, ruffled edge of our fiorelli pasta is achieved with a No. 174 bronze die. This unique shape picks up fish and seafood beautifully, like in our purple sprouting broccoli and anchovy pasta, topped with crunchy garlic breadcrumbs.

See our fiorelli

Lasagne

These very wide, flat sheets are used to layer and fill with hearty meat sauces, creamy béchamel, and chunky vegetables. For a new twist on lasagne, try breaking up the sheets and tossing them into a pasta bake, as in our cosy spinach and ricotta broken lasagne recipe.

See our lasagne

Spaghettoni

Spaghettoni is a lot like spaghetti but thicker and larger, resulting in a dense, chewy bite. Our Collection Single Grain Spaghettoni is shaped using a No. 9107 bronze die, for a rough texture ideal for clinging to silky sauces. Give our prawn and pistachio pesto pasta a go, using plump and sweet Honduran prawns.

See our spaghettoni

Pache

Our thick, wide, tube-shaped pache is traditionally extruded using a No. 183 bronze die. This Collection Italian Single-Grain Pache pasta is crafted from organically grown Puglian grain and has subtle earthy tones and delicate coconut aromas. Use it to make this Romesco-style pasta with our smoky Catalan-inspired red pepper dip.

See our pache

Conchiglioni

This large, shell-shaped pasta is ideal for stuffing and holding onto chunky fillings. Ours is made by the Felicetti family using a No. 189 bronze die. This Tuscan chicken pasta recipe makes irresistible use of these shells, which are tossed in a creamy, cheesy sauce and tender chicken.

See our conchiglioni

Spiralotti

Traditionally extruded using a No. 9158 bronze die, our spiralotti are a larger version of fusilli, ideal for holding onto glossy sauces. The short and stout shape also complements chunky veg, like in our confit tomato and pecorino pasta salad with fresh, seasonal tomatoes and briny kalamata olives.

See our spiralotti

This is not just pasta

This is authentic Italian M&S pasta, made by the Felicetti family using traditional bronze dies and only the best ingredients. Get inspired with our edit of the best Italian food or find easy and delicious dinner ideas with our Italian ready meals.

More recipe ideas

Published 10.9.2025

Your ultimate guide to types of pasta

Italian Single Grain Spiralotti

Italian Single Grain Conchiglioni

Italian Single Grain Pache

Italian Single Grain Spaghettoni