Pasta is one of Italy’s most famous foods. There are many kinds of pasta shapes, and each one goes well with different kinds of sauces and ingredients.

Here are three popular pasta shapes.

Rigatoni

Rigatoni is a tube-shaped pasta with ridges on the outside. Its name comes from the Italian word “rigato,” which means “lined” or “ridged.”

These ridges and a hollow center help thick sauces stick to the pasta. Italy also has many other tube-shaped pastas, including penne, ziti, and cannelloni.

Fusilli

Fusilli is shaped like a spiral or a corkscrew. The twists in its shape help to trap sauce between the curves.

This design makes every bite of the pasta flavorful. Fusilli is often used in pasta salads because the shape holds the salad dressing very well.

Farfalle

Farfalle is sometimes called “bow tie pasta.” The name comes from the Italian word for “butterflies.”

The pasta is pinched in the center, creating its famous shape. Farfalle goes well with creamy sauces and also with vegetables because its wide edges can hold light sauces nicely.