Pasta Descriptions and Uses

Some of these I knew, others I didn't.  How about you?

Macaroni:

Alphabets - tiny pasta alphabet - used in soups
Anelli - tiny pasta rings - used in soups
Conchiglie - smooth or ridged shell-shaped pasta in several sizes - used in soups or stuffed
Ditali - large pasta "thimbles" with ridges - used in casseroles, salads, soups or with sauces
Elbow Macaroni - curved tubes in a variety of sizes and lengths - used in casseroles and soups
Farfalle - pasta shaped like bows in a variety of sizes and colors - used in soups and stuffings
Lumache - small to medium size snail-shaped pasta - used in casseroles, salads or with sauces
Macaroni - pasta tubes in a variety of sizes and shapes - used in casseroles or soups
Mostaccioli - medium-size pasta tubes with diagonally cut ends - served with hearty meat or tomato sauces
Orzo - tiny pasta resembling oats - used in soups or cooked like rice
Rigatoni - slightly curved small tubes - used in casseroles or soups
Risini - tiny rice-shaped pasta - used in soups
Ziti - short, smooth tubes - used in casseroles

Noodles:

Fettuccine - about 1/4" wide ribbon noodles, straight or in coils - used buttered or in a rich meat sauce
Lasagne - wide pasta, sometimes with curly edges - used in baked dishes
Noodle Flakes - very fine egg pasta sheets cut into 1/4" squares - used in soups
Tagliatelle - 3/4" wide egg noodles - used in casseroles or with sauces

Spaghetti:

Bucatini - typical spaghetti but hollow instead of solid - used with sauces
Capellini - thin, often coiled, spaghetti - used with sauces
Fusilli - strands of spiral-shaped pasta - used with sauces
Linguine - flat, narrow, long - used in casseroles or with sauces
Spaghettini - long, fine-cut strands of spaghetti - used with sauces
Vermicelli - straight or folded strands of very thin spaghetti - used with sauces

Miscellaneous Pasta:

Cannelloni - 4 to 6 inch pieces of large, fresh pasta rolled around a filling - used baked with sauces
Manicotti - large smooth or ridged pasta tubes - used cooked, filled with cheese or meat and baked
Ravioli - pasta dumpling filled with spinach or ricotta cheese or meat and herbs - used served with sauce
Won Ton Skins - thin soft squares of noodle dough wrapped around or folded over filling of meat, vegetables or seafood - used deep-fried, boiled or steamed

Other:

Cellophane noodles - hard, clear white noodles made from mung beans:  turns translucent when cooked in liquid, puffy and crisp when deep fat fried - used in Oriental style dishes
Rice Sticks - thin, brittle white noodles made form rice powder - used softened in liquid, then stir-fried or deep-fat fried in Oriental style dishes